The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAIN NOISE AND VIBRATIONS REDUCTION ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the in the Extensions of Remarks section section on page E346 on April 24.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAIN NOISE AND VIBRATIONS REDUCTION ACT
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Monday, April 24, 2023
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, Today, I introduce the Train Noise and Vibrations Reduction Act, which would direct the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report to Congress containing recommendations on how to reduce train noise and vibrations near homes, as well as estimates of the costs and benefits of each recommendation. Such recommendations would include modifications to trains, tracks and maintenance procedures, speed limits for trains, mitigation measures between tracks and homes, the distance between tracks and homes, limitations on the number of trains and the number of cars on trains, limitations on hours of operations, building insulation and modifications to soil conditions. The report would be due to Congress no later than one year after the enactment of the bill.
The Noise Control Act of 1972 created the Office of Noise Abatement and Control within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), granting EPA authority and oversight over broad noise control regulations. However, years of defunding left this office without any resources to conduct enforcement, forcing EPA to phase out the office in 1982. I hear from District of Columbia residents frequently about the negative impact of train noise and vibrations on their lives. The noise and vibrations can harm health and quality of life, and can even harm the structural integrity of homes. Congress and the executive branch must do more to reduce the harm nationwide.
As a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, I have been committed to reducing transportation noise pollution. I have convened community meetings with the Federal Railroad Administration, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to examine how to reduce train noise and vibrations. A report on reducing train noise and vibrations can help us identify viable, long-term solutions for communities.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
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