Noise and Health
Noise pollution itself can be defined as being a “…displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.” –Source: Wikipedia
For numerous people negatively affected by CN Rail’s operations, the most significant problem is the trend to a more nocturnal-based operation which place it squarely at odds with one of the most basic requirements of human existence, namely, sleep. Night operations are routinely conducted in the absence of noise mitigation measures, without whistle cessation relief, and without set limits that acknowledge international standards on acceptable night-time noise levels for human health, sleep, and well-being.
The situation is made all the more frustrating for sleep-deprived CN neighbours when the freight being moved in the dead of night has sat at a standstill throughout the previous day, when its movement would cause significantly less impact on the residential area affected. It is our position that this mode of operation is unsustainable, and the premise of expecting residential interests to absorb noise levels well in excess of recognized standards is unreasonable.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states on their Environment and health / Noise page that: “Excessive noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home and during leisure time. It can disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.”
In Europe, noise pollution is increasingly falling under scrutiny. The World Health Organization notes in their Transport and health page that “While transport has a key role in the economy, concern is increasing about the social sustainability of current transportation policies and how they can harm human health and the environment”.
© Copyright 2010 RailandReason.com
Comments are closed.
Rail and Reason 
Its midnight and once again, as they have for the FIVE previous nights at this time the CN is slamming cars into each other highballing into the city and then having to reduce speed. The shock waves rattle the windows so you can imagine what it is doing to people’s ear drums. Some nights the train will slam the cars into each other up to 4 times while entering the city in less than a mile stretch. My grandson wakes up screaming and terrified night after night, he may as well be living in a war zone with bombs going off outside his house every night, all night. Maybe its time to take drastic measures to get the message across to the now American owned CN that they CANNOT come up to Canada and do whatever they want to, disregard health and safety issues and damage peoples home, lifestyles, health and the development of Canadian children. I now believe *** ********** *** *** ***** **** ** ******* ** *** ***** ****** ** *** ********** ***** *** – because the CN is not prepared to listen to anything so ineffective as sitting down with them and “trying to reach an understanding and cooperation” WHAT A JOKE THAT IS
Site Admin Note: Portions of the previous comment were edited out due to content.
12:21 pm Babies napping, but still deliberate harassment after residents were circulating petitions to support Peter’s bill, again, as happens multiple times 24 hours a day one short loud whistle blast passing out townhouse complex. This is harassment because the residents here signed and distributed the petition, it started then and has continued without let up. Complaints to the CN are met with “the engineer says someone was too close to the tracks”. The line is fenced along here, and without fail if we go outside to check there is NO ONE in sight never mind “too close to the tracks”.
12:54 PM train just went past ringing its bell, again no one outside at all, no one in sight for 2 blocks – CN will give the same excuse “someone was too close to the tracks”. What really makes me mad is the CN and rail crews dont care that they are harassing babies and children, waking them up from naps, seriously harming their health and well being. With the number of times they slam on the brakes through here too and slam cars together 24 hours a day these innocent babies and children may as well be living in a war zone. Its harming their hearing, and research shows this kind of environment can cause ADHD, startle response, failure to thrive in babies, hearing loss, learning disabilities, anxiety. High blood pressure, hearing loss, cardiac disease, sleep deprivation, imparied cognitive functions, depression, and social problems among adults. This should be treated as a criminal offense IMO
In the past 45 minutes there has been SIX trains go past.. ALL of them rattling windows, the floor bouncing, walls creaking, light fixtures rattling – and 2 blown light bulbs.
Well everyone the cops were at my house again yesterday July 02 2012 at about 4:00 pm. there has been a feud between B.C. Sout5hern Rail and CNR concerning whistles and bells mostly all night from 10:00 pm and 08:00 am. I have been in jail a few times for dealing with these clowns personally. We live at a dead end street to boot. They have rules and regulations i understand that but during the above hours there is nobody around atb the above hours mentioned.the shaking vibration and smoke from Southern rail is literally choking and burning as they go by. Anyway i yelled at the engineer to tell him through an agreement from his boss it is not necessary to go by this residential area full blast because of the noise caused by all aspects of these engines. They called , i do not know the lies they tell but until weall get together to refuse to pay property taxes and make a stand it will not change. I am not afraid to take on these idiots. I have been told the city can impose a whistle and bell cessation ban on certain hours by the municipalities but if theirb like the governments get paid off or what ever they ton avoid helping us we have to do it ourselves.The 1st time arrested for standing on the tracks and stopping the PNE train. How do they plan on stopping 100 feet or 200 feet from the intersection? It’s supposed to be 1 quarter mile or 20 seconds for a safety warning. As i said above nat the intersection. Give me a break. I am not done with City Hall or Railroad or police until there is HELP. Until we are a democracy nothing will change