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Rutgers Noise Technical Assistance Center
THE RUTGERS NOISE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (RNTAC) is part of the Air and Noise Training Program in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey.
The Rutgers Noise Center has trained thousands of enforcement officers from all across the United States in sound level measurement for the purposes of enforcing a municipal noise code. The certification conferred by our courses, Community Noise Enforcement, and Vehicular Noise Enforcement are recognized by courts from coast to coast, and beyond. Our training is
specifically designed to help officers to become comfortable with the techniques, strategies and technology of sound level measurement and investigation for evidentiary purposes.
specifically designed to help officers to become comfortable with the techniques, strategies and technology of sound level measurement and investigation for evidentiary purposes.The RNTAC has been providing noise assistance for over 35 years. We are the only remaining Noise Technical Assistance Center originally contracted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Noise Abatement and Control. Since the closure of ONAC in the early 1980's, all other regional centers have closed. The RNTAC conitnues to serve the country as a reference source on a wide range of noise pollution issues.
The RNTAC has served as the agent of training for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for many years; our certification course is required by law for every noise enforcement officer in the state. People from all over New Jersey have attended our courses, as have people from Colorado, Rhode Island, Texas, New York, Washington State, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Hawaii, Bolivia, etc., all of which recognize our certification. Recently, we have presented on-site courses in the following cities: Jacksonville, FL; Lafayette, LA; Traverse City, MI; Honolulu, HI; Seattle, WA, and Anchorage, AK.
As far as we know, we are the only certification program in the United States.
Aside from training, in the past year alone we have assisted hundreds of individuals, townships, police departments, corporations, health departments, etc. Recently, we've helped the following cities to write and adopt noise ordinances: Long Beach, NY, Farmers Branch, TX and St. Augustine Beach, FL. We have assisted people from Idaho to Canada to New Zealand.
Eric Zwerling, Director of the RNTAC is widely published in the field, most recently presenting the invited paper "Characteristics of a Successful Local Noise Enforcement Program," at the conference entitled: First Pan-American/Iberian Meeting on Acoustics, which was jointly sponsored by: Acoustical Society of America; the Iberoamerican Federation of Acoustics; and the Mexican Institute of Acoustics, in Cancun, Mexico, December 20002. Other recent papers include: "Regulation of Amplified Sound Sources," "Turning Down the Volume: Effective Strategies for Community Noise Enforcement," "Community Noise Enforcement: Reviving a Moribund Program or Developing One Anew," and "Local Noise Enforcement Options and Model Noise Ordinance With Pre-Approved language for the State of New Jersey." These papers have helped impacted communities to understand that sound level measurement for enforcement purposes is as mature and admissible as breathalyzer and radar.
We have we presented invited papers at conferences for: American Association of Code Enforcement; Acoustical Society of America, New York State Association of Towns; Institute of Noise Control Engineering, Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys; International Municipal Lawyers Association, and the Michigan Municipal League. Our presentations have titles such as "Effective Strategies for Community Noise Enforcement," and "Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Noise Ordinance."
COURSES ARE OFFERED QUARTERLY AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY.
CUSTOMIZED ON-SITE COURSES ARE AVAILABLE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Eric M. Zwerling, Director
Rutgers Noise Technical Assistance Center
Department of Environmental Sciences
14 College Farm Road New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA PHONE:
(732) 932-9800 ext. 6137
FAX: (732) 932-8644
Phone calls bring the fastest response.
The RNTAC operates within the Rutgers Air and Noise Training Programs which are under the direction of:
Dr. Barbara J. Turpin, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
& Air Quality Specialist, Rutgers Cooperative Extension