Scholars have also found that exposure to excessive environmental noise may impair cognition and impact children’s ability to learn.Ĭommunities of color and low-income neighborhoods are more likely to be located near sources of noise pollution such as highways. Regular exposure to excessive noise has been shown to contribute to conditions such as heart disease, psychological disorders, and premature death. Today, that pollution-from blaring horns, roaring aircraft engines, and other sources of unwanted sound- damages public health and inflicts a disparate level of harm on marginalized communities. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “has made no progress in protecting the American people from the many harmful effects of noise pollution.”
Last month, the nonprofit Quiet Communities argued in a lawsuit that the U.S.
