While Jerome Township officials and residents are looking to curb noise pollution, they aren’t sure they can do it.
At Monday night’s meeting of the Jerome Township Board of Trustees, the trustees discussed legislation that would prohibit “Jake brakes” in the township. He said state officials have offered to place signs on U.S. 42 at both ends of the township and the Madison and Delaware county lines.
“They aren’t going to put up any more signs,” Trustee Ron Rhodes said, noting there are seven miles of road between the lines.
“How much good do you think those signs are going to do?” Rhodes asked.
Jake braking is method involving cutting fuel supply and energy to and from the engine. The method, often used in hilly areas or near stop lights and signs, can be loud.
Rhodes said many of the newer engines have much quieter braking options that are just as effective.
Trustee C.J. Lovejoy said he is not against the legislation or paying for more signs, “but the kicker is how do you enforce it?”
Rhodes also questioned the township’s ability to enforce noise legislation.
“I am not going to have a PSO (Public Safety Officer) sit there all night and listen for a truck driver that decides to use a Jake brake,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said a New California Hills resident has complained several times. He said he spoke with state officials and forwarded the response offering signs at both end of the township.
Lovejoy said the additional signs could have value, even if the township does not have staff to enforce the rules. He said some drivers might not know the township can’t enforce the rule and others may appreciate the reminder.
“Maybe if we put some up near the residential areas it, maybe it will deter them,” Lovejoy said.
Resident Megan Sloat said she appreciates the township “addressing the important issue of noise pollution in our township.”
She asked trustees to include backup alarms in any noise control legislation. Sloat said the alarms are ineffective and harmful.
“Noise pollution chips away at the public health, interfering with our immune systems, learning and sleep, boosting stress hormones and contributing to cardiovascular maladies, even at levels too low to cause hearing damage,” Sloat said. “If annoyance level is any indication, backup beepers may be one of the most harmful noises.”
She said a recently completed sound study, done in connection with the proposed FedEx Hub on Industrial Parkway, suggested the use of broadband backup alarms. Sloat explained a broadband backup alarm as, “a device that has the same cadence as the conventional beeper but broadcasts a white noise whooshing sound.” She said the noise is “more easily localizable then a single tone beeper, but the white noise is masked by community noise, so it is much less annoying to the public.”
She cited a Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that original equipment manufacturer backup alarms failed to prevent two-thirds of the backover accidents analyzed.
Sloat said the FedEx hub sound study recommendations about the broadband backup alarms were not adopted by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
“We can ask the construction companies to comply, but if we have the legal arm to force them to comply, I don’t know,” Rhodes said. “We will have to look into it.”
Trustee Joe Craft said he would like to think about the issues before making a decision.