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III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING,IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES D. NOISE NOISE REGULATIONS, PLANS, AND POLICIES In most areas,automobile and truck traffic is the major source of environmental noise. Traffic activity generally produces an average sound level that remains fairly constant with time. Air and rail traffic,and commercial and industrial activities are also major sources of noise in some areas. Federal,state,and local agencies regulate different aspects of environmental noise. Federal and state agencies generally set noise standards for mobile sources such as aircraft and motor vehicles, while regulation of stationary sources is left to local agencies. Local regulation of noise involves implementation of General Plan policies and Noise Ordinance standards. Local General Plans identify general principles intended to guide and influence development plans,and Noise Ordinances set forth the specific standards and procedures for addressing particular noise sources and activities. General Plans recognize that different types of land uses have different sensitivities toward their noise environment;residential areas are generally considered to be the most sensitive type of land use to noise and industrial/commercial areas are generally considered to be the least sensitive. Local noise ordinances typically set forth standards related to construction activities,nuisance- type noise sources,and industrial property-line noise levels. The City of Stockton noise regulations and standards apply to the proposed expansion of the Stockton Scavenger Transfer Station. The City of Stockton does not have a noise ordinance, but has noise compatibility guidelines for various land uses that are contained in the Noise Element of the General Plan(City of Stockton, 1990a). The City considers a noise environment of up to 60 DNL to be acceptable for residential and church uses. A noise environment of up to 65 DNL is allowed for new development of these types of uses only when a detailed analysis of noise reduction requirements has been conducted and the best practicable and available noise insulation features have been incorporated into the project design, which typically involves construction of a noise barrier. In addition,the City has exterior noise level standards for stationary sources located in close proximity to residential areas. Table III.D-1 summarizes these standards in terms of the hourly and maximum daytime and nighttime noise levels not to be exceeded by project operations. TABLE IIID-1 GENERAL PLAN EXTERIOR NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS FOR STATIONARY NOISE SOURCES Daytime Nighttime Noise Descriptor (7:00 a.m.to 10:00 p.m.) (10:00 p.m.to 7:00 a.m.) Hourly 9 Le 55 45 Maximum Level (Lmax) 75 65 Stockton Scavenger Transfer Station Erpansion IILD.5 ESA/990190