Reestablish funding for the Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC) within the United States...

Noise pollution is a serious threat to public health and welfare. Noise is much more than just a nuisance—it is a major health hazard.
Noise is a stressor on the human body. It causes the “fight or flight” syndrome,releasing cortisol and other harmful chemicals into the blood stream. Over time, these chemicals build up in the body, leading to a host of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, aggression, chronic fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, mental illness, and anxiety. In addition, a growing body of evidence confirms that noise pollution has both temporary and permanent effects on the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems.
The Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 U.S.C. 4901 to 4918) established a national policy to promote a healthy, noise-free environment for all Americans. The Act requires the coordination of federal research activities in noise control, authorizes the establishment of federal noise emissions standards for commercial products, and authorizes the dissemination of information to the public regarding the noise characteristics of commercial products. In 1981, president Reagan eliminated all funding for ONAC. Of the twenty-eight environmental, health and safety statutes passed between 1958 and 1980, the Noise
Control Act stands alone in being stripped of budgetary support.
In the thirty plus years since ONAC was abolished, a culture of noise has taken root in American society. Whole new industries are thriving from noisy products aimed at disturbing the public peace. Two of the chief noise-making industries in the United States today are the amplified car
stereo industry and the modified muffler industry. Cars with amplified stereo systems, known as “boom cars,” emit up to 120 decibels of
sound (equivalent to a rock concert or sandblasting). Noise at this level is
unconscionable, yet millions of Americans are subjected to the outrageously loud noise of boom cars every day. Noise levels should not exceed 80 decibels. Another group of noise-making products that have reached epidemic proportions are modified car and motorcycle exhaust systems (also known as “loud pipes”). Many motorcyclists remove their mufflers altogether to generate the “loud pipes”sound. ONAC was created specifically to prevent these sorts of unsafe products from making it to the market. Without federal oversight of product manufacturers, citizens suffer.