Airzone One offers services in the assessment of environmental noise impacts. These impact assessments are required for various reasons including regulatory requirements, such as for Certificates of Approval [CofA] in the Province of Ontario. All equipment that emits noise into the natural environment is only permitted to do so under the terms and conditions of a CofA, which is needed to operate legally. We offer these impact assessment services under our Permitting section, which is led by Dr. Franco DiGiovanni (contact: via email or 905-890-6957 ext. 102).
These CofA permits are issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Permits are only issued if it can be demonstrated through the impact assessment that noise impacts are below Ministry limits. For example, in built-up urban areas, the worst-case noise impact limit is 50 dBA (measured as a 1-hour Leq) between the hours of 07:00-19:00, or the “background” noise, whichever is the higher of the two; either the Ministry limit or the background level. Different Ministry limits apply to different times of the day and at different localities.
Measurement of noise impacts requires specialized equipment, with minimal specifications that should meet the requirements set by the Ministry of the Environment. The impact assessment method should also follow the general protocols prescribed by the Ministry in order to produce results that are acceptable to the Ministry. Finally, the format of the impact assessment report is expected to follow the guidelines set out by the Ministry in order to ensure that compliance can be demonstrated.
Should impacts exceed Ministry limits, then noise controls may be specified to bring a facility within compliance.
Our Expertise
Airzone One is experienced in conducting noise impact assessments that are acceptable to the Ministry, and in specifying noise control requirements where compliance cannot be demonstrated.
Our environmental noise studies are supervised by Alberto Behar. Alberto Behar is a Professional Engineer and Certified Industrial Hygienist. He holds a Diploma in Acoustics from the Imperial College (London, UK) and has been the recipient of several Fellowships, including one from the Fulbright Commission (USA) and the Hugh Nelson Award of Excellence in Industrial Hygiene (OHAO, Canada). He has carried out numerous noise impact assessments that have successfully demonstrated compliance with Ministry environmental noise limits.
Since 1990, he has been dealing with occupational and environmental noise and vibration as well as with hearing conservation and protection, fields he has been active in for almost 40 years. He is a Research Associate with the Sensory Communication Group, IBBME, University of Toronto and since 2004 Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto. Alberto is the chair and member of CSA and ANSI committees and working groups and is also the Canadian representative at two ISO Working Groups on noise.
A well-known Canadian acoustician, he has written over 50 papers and articles published in peer reviewed international journals and also numerous articles in safety magazines. He is also the author of the book “Noise and its Control” (in Spanish) and “Noise Control - a Primer” (in collaboration with Dr. Marshall Chasin and Professor Meg Cheesman). A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, he has presented papers with results of his studies and/or of recent developments in his areas of expertise that include hearing protection and conservation and noise measurement and control.