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(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to cause the sound pressure level to exceed the limits listed below at any point on the boundary of the property where the person is located:
(1) If the person is located within a residential zone: 55 dBA at all times;
(2) If the person is located within commercial zone: 55 dBA at all times; or
(3) If the person is located within an industrial zone: 66 dBA at all times.
(B) If the property boundary lies between two of the zones listed above, the lower limit shall apply regardless of the zone in which the person creating the noise is located.
(C) In addition to the above, no person within a residential or a commercial zone shall make or cause to be made any earth-shaking vibrations perceptible without the aid of instruments beyond the property boundary of the vibration source.
(D) No person within an industrial zone shall make or cause to be made any earth-shaking vibrations perceptible without the aid of instruments beyond the zone boundary of the zone in which the vibration source is located.
(BC Ord. 2023-14, passed 7-24-23)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the following:
(A) Sounds incidental to agricultural activities;
(B) The emission of sound for the purposes of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency, or the emission of sound in the performance of work to prevent or alleviate physical or property damage threatened or caused by a public calamity or other emergency;
(C) Sounds incidental to outside school activities sponsored by a school located within the county;
(D) Special events sanctioned by the state, county, and/or municipal parks conducted within the rules established by the Warrick County Department of Parks and Recreation; or
(E) When a special use ordinance is found to be in conflict with this chapter, the special use ordinance and permit shall prevail.
(BC Ord. 2023-14, passed 7-24-23)
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced through the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office. Citations issued shall be filed with the Warrick Superior Court, County Division, and may be filed by Warrick County's Code Enforcement Officer or the Warrick County Attorney.
(BC Ord. 2023-14, passed 7-24-23)
(A) Noise caused by motor vehicles. Any person who violates any provision of § 158.04 for the first time within any 12 month period shall be fined an amount of not less than $300. Each subsequent violation of § 158.04 within the same 12 month period shall result in a fine of not less than $1,000 but shall not exceed $2,500. Each day such a violation occurs shall constitute a separate violation for purposes of this division.
(B) Other violations. Any person found in violation of any other provision of this chapter other than § 158.04 shall be subject to a fine in an amount not to exceed $2,500 for each such violation. Each day a violation occurs shall constitute a separate violation for purposes of this division.
(BC Ord. 2023-14, passed 7-24-23)
The scientific definitions of the terms used in this chapter shall be:
A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL. The sound pressure level of a sound measured through an a-weighted filter network. The level read is designated dB(A) or dBA.
DECIBEL (dB). The unit used for comparing the sound pressure level of a sound to the sound pressure level of a reference sound having a sound pressure of 20 micropascals.
FREQUENCY. The number of periodic oscillations, vibrations, or waves per unit time (usually one second).
HERTZ. The unit for measuring the frequency of a sound. The number of hertz is the number of cycles per second of a periodic sound pressure wave.
OCTAVE BAND. A portion of the entire sound frequency spectrum contained between two frequencies, A and B, such that A = 2B.
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. Twenty times the logarithm (base 10) of the ratio of the measured sound pressure to a reference pressure of 20 micropascals. The sound pressure level is expressed in decibels (dB).
Sound Pressure A
SPL = 20LOG10 10
Sound Pressure B
Sound Pressure A = Measure Sound Pressure
Sound Pressure B = Referenced Sound Pressure
(10 Micropascals)
(BC Ord. 2023-14, passed 7-24-23)
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