(a) Air quality. There shall be no emission of smoke, ash, dust, fumes, vapors, gases or other matter toxic or noxious to air which violates the state air pollution control laws, including the standards set forth in Chapter 123 (Standards for Contaminants), being 25 Pa. Code §§ 123.1 et seq., and Chapter 131 (Ambient Air Quality Standards), being 25 Pa. Code §§ 131.1 et seq., Chapter 211, Title 25, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Rules and Regulations, being 53 P.S. §§ 211.1 et seq.
(b) Fire and explosive hazards. All activities and all storage of flammable and explosive material at any point shall be provided with adequate safety devices against the hazard of fire and explosion, and adequate firefighting and fire suppression equipment and devices as detailed and specified by the laws of the commonwealth. All buildings and structures and activities within such buildings and structure shall conform to the Uniform Construction Code and the International Fire Code. Any explosive material shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 211, Title 25, Rules and Regulations, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, being 53 P.S §§ 211.1 et seq., for storing, handling and use of explosives.
(c) Glare and heat. No direct or sky-reflected glare, whether from floodlights or high temperature processes such as combustion or welding or otherwise, so as to be visible at the lot line, shall be permitted. These regulations shall not apply to signs or floodlighting of parking areas otherwise permitted by this Zoning Code. There shall be no emission or transmission of heat or heated so as to be discernible at the lot line.
(d) Liquid and solid waste. There shall be no discharge at any point into any public or private sewerage system or watercourses or into the ground of any materials in such a way or such a nature as will contaminate or otherwise cause the emission of hazardous materials in violation of the laws of the township and the commonwealth, and specifically of Chapters 73, 75, 95 and 97, Title 25, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Rules and Regulations, being 25 Pa. Code §§ 1.1 et seq.
(e) Noise.
(1) No person shall operate or cause to be operated on private or public property any source of continuous sound (any sound which is static, fluctuating or intermittent with a recurrence greater than one time in any 15-second interval) in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth in the following table when measured at or within the property boundary of the receiving land use.
Receiving Land Use Category | Time Allowed | Sound Level Limit (dBA) |
Agricultural or Institutional | 7:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 65 60 |
Commercial or Business | 7:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 65 60 |
Industrial | 7:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 70 60 |
Residential, Public Space, Open Space | 7:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. —7:00 a.m. | 60 55 |
(2) For any source of sound which emits a pure tone, the maximum sound level limits set forth in the above table shall be reduced by five dBA. For any source of sound which emits an impulsive sound (a sound of short duration, with an abrupt onset and rapid delay and an occurrence of not more than one time in any 15 second interval) the excursion of sound pressure level shall not exceed 20 dBA over the ambient sound level, regardless of time of day or night of receiving land use, using the “fast” meter characteristics of a Type II Meter, meeting the ANSI specifications 51.4-1971.
(3) The maximum permissible sound levels as listed in the previous table shall not apply to any of the following noise sources:
A. The emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency or associated practice drills;
B. Emergency work to provide electricity, water or other public utilities when public health or safety is involved;
C. Domestic power tools;
D. Agriculture;
E. Public celebrations specifically authorized by the township; and
F. Garbage and recycling haulers (including township sanitation) may begin activities at 6:00 a.m.
(4) Motor vehicle operations shall not exceed the noise levels established in Chapter 157 of Title 67 of the Pennsylvania Code of Regulations, Subch. B, Established Sound Levels, being 67 Pa. Code §§ 157.1 et seq.
(5) No person shall use, operate or permit to be played any radio, receiving set, musical instrument, television set, phonograph, drum or other such machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound, with the exception of any school-sponsored activity and band, in such a manner as to be plainly audible 25 feet from the vehicle or source of said sound and/or as measured in the manner prescribed in this subsection (e). The operation of any such radio, phonograph or similar device in such a manner as to be plainly audible 25 feet from the vehicle or source of the sound shall be prima-facie evidence of a violation of this subsection (e)(5).
(6) Any person in violation of this subsection (e) or any part hereof shall be subject to the following fines and penalties:
A. For the first offense, violators shall be subject to a fine of an amount set forth by the Board of Commissioners in the fee resolution;
B. For the second offense within the same calendar year, the violator shall be subject to a fine of an amount set forth by the Board of Commissioners in the fee resolution;
C. For the third offense within the same calendar year, the violator shall be subject to a fine of an amount set forth by the Board of Commissioners in the fee resolution; and
D. For the fourth or more offenses within the same calendar year, the violator shall be subject to a fine of an amount set forth by the Board of Commissioners in the fee resolution.
(f) Odors. No uses except agricultural operations shall emit odorous gases or other odorous matter in such quantities to be offensive at any point on or beyond its lot lines. The guide for determining such quantities of offensive odors shall be the 50% response level of Table 1 (Odor Thresholds in Air), “Research of Chemical Odors: Part I - Odor Thresholds for 53 Commercial Chemicals”, October, 1986, Manufacturing Chemists Association, Inc., Washington, D.C.
(g) Vibration. No vibration shall be produced which is transmitted through the ground and is discernible without the aid of instruments at or at any point beyond the lot line.
(h) Radioactivity or electrical disturbances. There shall be no activities which emit dangerous radioactivity at any point. There shall be no radio or electrical disturbances adversely affecting the operation of equipment belonging to someone other than the creator of the disturbance. If any use is proposed which incorporates the use of any radioactive material, equipment or supplies, such use shall be in strict conformity with Chapters 221, 223, 225, 227 and 229, Title 25, Article V, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Rules and Regulations, being 25 Pa. Code §§ 1.1 et seq.
(i) Public health and safety. No use shall create any other objectionable condition in an adjoining area which will endanger public health and safety or be detrimental to the public use of the surrounding area.
(Ord. 896, passed 12-21-2011; Ord. 1002, passed 6-17-2020)