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Our mission is to elevate the issue of noise pollution with federal, state, and local officials, as well as to educate the public about the dangers of noise pollution. Please take a look at our mission to reduce noise in our communities.
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Our Blogs
Food Lion: Clean up on aisle seven
Virtually all grocery stores play “background” music and have frequent “clean up on aisle seven” announcements. I had a particularly egregious experience in June 2018 at a Food Lion store in Durham, North Carolina. When I entered the store, I was greeted...
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Loud Music at University of North Carolina Swimming Pool
I am member of the Meadowmont wellness facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Meadowmont is owned and operated by the University of North Carolina. Meadowmont is a beautiful facility. Unfortunately, however, there is frequently very loud music in the...
read moreLow Frequency Noise
...
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It’s Not Just Bells Anymore
In many noise ordinances, it has been common practice to exempt certain types of noise from controls in the public interest. Such exemptions typically include emergency service work, emergency vehicles, farm equipment, special events with a permit … and...
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Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines committing federal crimes at Daytona Bike Week 2019!
Attention those of you who live in Florida: Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines will be committing those crimes in Florida! As a result of that blatant and intentional violation of federal laws, Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines will be causing harm to the residents of Florida by causing the motorcycles they are illegally tampering with to emit excessive air pollution and noise pollution!
Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines, the manufactures of non-EPA compliant after market motorcycle exhausts systems, have announced that they will at the Daytona Bike Week 2019 on March 8th through the 17th selling and Installing their motorcycle exhaust system products which, by their own admission, are devoid of catalytic converters and do not meet EPA noise suppression regulations and are not in compliance with federal labeling requirements.
Those you who live in Florida should submit a complaint, including the information supplied here, to the US EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and urge those agencies to hold Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines accountable for their unlawful conduct.
Here is the link to the US EPA for reporting violations: echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations
www.epa.gov/enforcement/forms/enforcement-contact-us
Here are the details of those violations:
Rinehart Racing:
Even though their products are intended "for use on closed courses only" and not legal for use on highway motorcycles, they will be installing those products on federally regulated highway motorcycles, many of which have been factory equipped with catalytic converters.
An example of that is Rinehart Racing's 2-into-1 Exhaust for Harley Touring For 1995-Later Touring Models that Rinehart Racing is touting in it's new products announcement. rinehartracing.com/product/touring-2-into-1-system/
"New to the Rinehart Racing exhaust lineup is a 4” Slip-On exhaust for 2018-2019 Harley Softail Sport Glides. We have also redesigned our famous 2-Into-2 and 2-Into-1 full systems especially for the new Milwaukee-Eight equipped Softail family."
Harley-Davidson motorcycles equipped with the milwaukee-eight-big-twin-engine are also equipped with catalytic converters.
www.cycleworld.com/harley-davidson-motorcycles...
"Exhaust components, including the catalyst, have been relocated to move engine heat away from rider and passenger."
Quote from Rinehart Racing: "Exhaust systems manufactured by Rinehart Racing are non-catalyst. A stock catalyst exhaust system cannot
be replaced with a non catalyst exhaust system. Please verify the application with your dealer before purchase."
As you can see from this quote, Rinehart Racing is well aware of the federal emission control device tampering prohibitions.
Even so, Rinehart Racing, and perhaps Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson® Daytona, will be violating those tampering prohibitions, as will Rinehart Racing's
competitor: Vance & Hines.
rinehartracing.com/.../come-see-our-newest.../
"We are heading back to Daytona Beach for the 78th Annual Bike Week.."
"If you are attending Daytona Bike Week, you can find us at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona® (www.brucerossmeyer.com/). Here the Rinehart Racing rig will have all of our latest full systems and slip-on exhausts, air cleaners, and exhaust accessories for Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles. Riders who visit the rig will be able to hear many of our exhaust systems on the latest models..."
"All purchases at the event come with complimentary installation while you wait, so you can get your ride back on the road and start to enjoy your new sound. Rinehart riders new and old are welcome to take a seat in Rinehart’s hospitality area, enjoy a snack and a cold drink, and get off your feet for a while."
"New to the Rinehart Racing exhaust lineup is a 4” Slip-On exhaust for 2018-2019 Harley Softail Sport Glides. We have also redesigned our famous 2-Into-2 and 2-Into-1 full systems especially for the new Milwaukee-Eight equipped Softail family. If you already rock a Rinehart system on your ride, you can take your performance up a notch with a Moto Series Inverted Air Cleaner, or update the look of your setup with a set of Moto Series End Caps."
"Harley Softail 2-into-2 Full System"
"All purchases at the event come with complimentary installation while you wait, so you can get your ride back on the road and start to enjoy your new sound. Rinehart riders new and old are welcome to take a seat in Rinehart’s hospitality area, enjoy a snack and a cold drink, and get off your feet for a while."
"We hope to see you at Daytona Bike Week 2019!"
Vance & Hines:
See what Vance & Hines is up to. They will be committing the same federal crimes as their competitor: Rinehart Racing.
vanceandhines.com/events/
"Come join us for the 78th Annual Daytona Bike Week!"
"The Vance & Hines display trucks will be located at two convenient hot spots during the rally for sales, service and installations."
Email response from Vance & Hines:
"Yes, we will be at Destination Daytona Harley-Davidson the 8th through the 17th. Selling and Installing."
Here are the federal laws Rinehart Racing and Vance & Hines will be violating:
Title 40: Protection of Environment
PART 86—CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES
Subpart E—Emission Regulations for 1978 and Later New Motorcycles, General Provisions
40 C.F.R. §86.409-78 Defeat devices, prohibition
Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
42 U.S.C.CHAPTER 65 - NOISE CONTROL
Sec. 4909. Prohibited acts
(2)(A) The removal or rendering inoperative by any person, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair, or replacement, of any device or element of design incorporated into any product in compliance with regulations under section 4905 of this title, prior to its sale or delivery to the ultimate purchaser or while it is in use, or (B) the use of a product after such device or element of design has been removed or rendered inoperative by any person.
(3) In the case of a manufacturer, to distribute in commerce any new product manufactured after the effective date of a regulation prescribed under section 4907(b) (Labeling) of this title (requiring information respecting noise) which is applicable to such product, except in conformity with such regulation.
echo.epa.gov
Chapel Hill: Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet has proclaimed May as “Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month.”
Ted Rueter, Noise Free America’s director, stated that “noise pollution caused by loud motorcycles is a serious environmental concern."
Contact:
Ted Rueter
[email protected]
877-664-7366
NFA asks supporters of peace and quiet to ask their local city council to adopt a resolution proclaiming May as motorcycle noise awareness month using the template proclamation provided."
Excessive noise has serious health effects, including hearing loss, ringing of the ears, sleep deprivation, heart disease, and aggressive behavior.
Excessive noise is also a serious problem for community development. A Census Bureau report found that noise is Americans’ number one complaint about their neighborhood and the number one reason they wish to move.
Congress enacted the Noise Control Act of 1972 to “promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare” and established the EPA Office of Noise Abatement and Control.
The Office of Noise Abatement and Control found that transportation related noise disturbed the public the most; they concluded that motorcycles exhaust systems are “major sources of environmental noise.” The EPA promulgated federal regulations setting maximum noise limits for motorcycles and established a federal motorcycle muffler standard to prevent motorcycles from exceeding those noise limits.
However, owners of loud motorcycles ignore federal and state muffler laws and illegally modify their motorcycle's exhaust system. As a result, many motorcycle are so loud that they keep people awake at night, create a nuisance in traffic and ruin the peace and tranquility of the home. The unlawful tampering with motorcycle exhaust systems is the root cause of excessively loud motorcycles.
The states and their law enforcement agencies should address the problem of excessive motorcycle noise and its root cause by adopting the recommended approach in Noise Free America's Guide to Modified Exhaust Systems: A Reference for Law Enforcement Officials and Motor Vehicle Inspectors.
Here is the template proclamation you should ask your local government to adapt. Please do so.
(insert the title of your local government)
Proclamation
Of
"Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEREAS: Inadequately controlled noise pollution causes adverse psychological and physiological effects on human beings and presents a danger to the health and welfare of the citizens of (insert the name of your municipality).
WHEREAS: Public surveys conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that transportation related noise disturbed the public the most, that excessively loud motorcycles figured prominently in public complaints and concluded that motorcycles are among the noisiest vehicles in the traffic stream.
WHEREAS: Many motorcycles illegally equipped with ineffective exhaust systems are major sources of environmental noise, are so loud that they keep people awake at night, ruin the peace and tranquility of the home, and create a nuisance in traffic.
WHEREAS: (insert the title of your local government) recognizes the harm inflicted on its citizens by excessively loud motorcycles and its responsibility to protect its citizens from that harm and to enforce the applicable laws.
WHEREAS:(insert the title of your local government) calls upon its citizens to assist in this effort and report excessively loud motorcycles to the police department.
WHEREAS: In the interest of promoting an environment for all citizens free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare and to protect, preserve and promote the health, safety, welfare, peace and quiet for the citizens of (insert the name of your municipality).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED by (insert the title of your local government) that the Month of May, (insert year)be proclaimed: “Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month” in (insert the name of your municipality).
NHTSA finalizes quiet-car rule for hybrids, electrics, to take full effect in 2020.
It's bad enough that Congress directed NHTSA to come up with regulations to require auto manufactures to manufacture hybrird and EVs make to noise at low speeds.
But this request by auto manufactures reported in the article is even more very troubling.
"A separate request by automakers that they be allowed the vary the noises legally emitted by their cars—most likely to adopt distinctive sounds that aligned with their brands—will be considered by the agency."
Hey NHTSA! Don't even consider that for a moment. The last thing the motor vehicle noise pollution suffering public needs is cars emitting "distinctive sounds" chosen by auto manufactures and perhaps by their customers as a "customization" feature that allegedly aligns with the brands of cars they make and the tastes of their customers. Talk about opening a Pandora's box! That lid needs to remain shut.
NHTSA finalizes quiet-car rule for hybrids, electrics, to take full effect in 2020
greencarreports.com
The idea of adding noise-makers to vehicles that are "too quiet" didn't exist until the first hybrid-electric cars hit the market in 2000. Within a few years, however, organizations representing the b...