Noise pollution to increase

Plans by the Health Ministry to raise the legal noise-level limit "could prove fatal" to Prague residents.

The proposed regulations, which are set to be introduced within months, shatter both European Union recommendations and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

The ministry admits the changes will allow more noisy construction to take place.

Under current legislation, passed in 2006, legal noise levels in the Czech Republic permit 60 decibels (dB) during the day and 50 dB at night. The Health Ministry wants to increase these levels 5 dB.

According to an October 2009 WHO study, a safe nighttime noise level in residential neighborhoods stands at 40 dB, a massive 15 dB beneath what the Health Ministry is proposing.

People exposed to higher decibel levels can suffer at least mild health effects such as sleep disturbance and insomnia, according to WHO, and long-term average exposure over weeks to levels above 55 dB can trigger elevated blood pressure and heart attacks.

"At present, not enough is being done to fight this change," said Michal Křivohlávek of Auto-mat, a group that advocates a healthier lifestyle through physical activity. He also said people could die because of the proposed changes.

"Almost 100,000 Prague residents are already suffering due to noise levels, and increasing the limits 5 db could really be fatal."

Financial concerns, Křivohlávek said, may be behind the proposed changes. By raising the permitted decibel level, construction costs that would otherwise go toward soundproofing roads and homes in noise-polluted areas will be slashed.

"By raising the allowed limits, local governments will lose the ability to help troubled residential areas. It will only benefit the construction of shopping centers, parking lots and roads linking them, things that are currently blocked by the current noise limits," Křivohlávek said.

The Health Ministry has confirmed the new limits would ease current restrictions on proposed construction, but only for developing badly needed new roads to alleviate city traffic.

"This change would enable more construction to take place," Health Ministry spokesman Vlastimil Sršeň told The Prague Post. "It is not automatic, however. For areas that range from 60 to 65 dB, we will arrange for negotiations with the sanitary office to ensure it is safe for residents."

However, according to data from the Czech-based Environmental Law Service, 90,000 people in Prague are exposed to dangerous levels of noise pollution of 55 db or greater, and, according to Auto-mat, more than 200,000 people work in dangerous noise-level conditions.

The service said 100 million EU citizens are affected by noise pollution of over 65 dB.

According to WHO, Ostrava is considered the worst noise offender in the Czech Republic, while Brno is the least.

- Klára Jiřičná contributed to this report.

Philip Heijmans can be reached at
pheijmans@praguepost.com