Noise abatement in Helsinki

Regulations, practices, cases

Hanna-Mari Torniainen

Environmental Protection Act

• The objective of this Act is to prevent the pollution of the environment• Environmental pollution refers to, for example, such emission of a noise

caused by human activity in the environment that causes harm to health or decreases the general amenity of the environment

• Operators must have sufficient knowledge of their activities' environmental impact and risks and of ways to reduce harmful effects (knowledge requirement)

• Operators must notify the municipal environmental protection committees in writing of measures or events causing temporary noise, such as public events if there is reason to expect that such noise will be especially disturbing. The notification shall be made in good time before taking the measure or starting the activity, but not less than 30 days in advance.

Hanna-Mari Torniainen

The City of Helsinki’s environmental protection regulations

• På svenska: http://www.hel.fi/hki/Ymk/sv/f_retag+och+verksamhetsidkare/milj_skyddsf_reskrifterna/milj_skyddsf_reskrifterna

• The operator must always inform the neighborhood on the event. In addition the operator must negotiate about sufficient noise abatement with particularly sensitive neighbors such as hospitals, day care centers and schools.

• The City of Helsinki's environmental protection regulations specify activities for which a notification must always be made.

• The obligation to notify the municipal environmental protection authority also concerns an event causing temporary noise that is arranged elsewhere besides an area reserved for it in the city plan.

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Examples are:

• an outdoor concert where amplifiers are used• a motor sports competition• a sports, amusement or exhibition occasion or

other large public event that causes especially disturbing noise

• an air show or temporary event offering plane rides that includes over ten landings or takeoffs.

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A decision made on the basis of a notification can

• order the dissemination of information on an event, limit the duration of the event

• require monitoring of the noise situation or noise abatement measures

• forbid activities if noise disturbance cannot be reduced sufficiently

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Important factors on decision-making

• Number of concerts/events organized on the same area during a summer/year

• Size of an event• Position of the nearest dwellings• Duration of the event• Possible sound level• Operator’s means to prevent the noise problem• Previous experiences of the same event

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General limits• Concerts should generally end by 11 pm• If an event lasts more than one day or if several concerts are

arranged in the same place during the summer, as a rule concerts should end by 10 pm

• Before 10.00 pm 70 dB (LAeq) by the nearest dwellings• After 10.00 pm 55 dB (LAeq) by the nearest dwellings• If an event ends before 8.00 pm and lasts only one day the

operator doesn’t have to notify the the municipal environmental protection authority

• If the operator wants the event to continue several days after 10 pm and the noise level is higher than 55 dB the operator must demonstrate to an authority the dispersion model of noise

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Use of sound equipment

• The continuing use of sound equipment outdoors between 10 pm and 7 am and during the day in the vicinity of a hospital, old people's home, day-care centre or similar institution is prohibited

• Public events, arrangers of temporary events and street musicians must make sure that an event or music performance does not disturb the neighborhood. For street musicians electric sound amplification using an external power source is prohibited

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Cases

• Flow• Summer Sound Festival• Bruce Springsteen, Madonna• Sonisphere• Tuska

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Flow

• 8.-12.8.2012, Suvilahti • 50 000 visitors• Main stage: 70 dB before 23 pm/24pm (depending

on the day). After that 60 dB until 23.00/23.30/1.30 (depending on the day) in the whole event area.

• Noise level measurements, orders about the dissemination of information

• Previous years more than a hundred complaints from inhabitants.

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Summer Sound Festival

• 27.-29.7.2012, Messukeskus yard• 24 000 visitors• 27.-28.7, 10 pm – 1.30 am, 60 dB• 29.7. 10 pm – 00.30 am, 55 dB• Noise level maesurements, orders about the

dissemination of information• Some complaints from inhabitants.

Hanna-Mari Torniainen

Bruce Springsteen, Madonna

• Bruce Sprinsteen 31.7.2012, Madonna 12.8.2012, The Helsinki Olympic Stadium

• 40 000 visitors per concert• Concerts should end at 11.00 pm. Both cencerts

continued later.• Before 11.00 pm 80 dB• Noise level measurements, orders about the

dissemination of information• Some complaints from inhabitants about the duration

Hanna-Mari Torniainen

Sonisphere

• 4.6.2012, Kyläsaari• 47 000 visitors• Before 11.00 pm 80 dB by the nearest dwellings

and 90 dB by the reception centre (which is the nearest building to the event area)

• Noise level measurements, orders about the dissemination of information

• Metallica continued the concert after 11.00 pm, many complaints from inhabitants

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Tuska

• Finnish Metal Event, 28.6.-1.7.2012, Suvilahti• 26 000 visitors• Ends at 11.00 pm • Noise limit 75 dB• Noise level measurements, orders about the

dissemination of information• No complaints

Hanna-Mari Torniainen