NEW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE IN JAPAN

In Japan, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) law was enforced in June 1999, and the revised environmental quality standards for noise were enforced in April 1999. In these circumstances, it was urgent for the road administration to establish a new EIA method for road traffic noise. This paper gives an overview of the Japanese EIA process, by presenting the method proposed by PWRI of the Ministry of Construction as an example. Its procedure consists of the following main steps: (1) selection of evaluation items; (2) selection of survey, prediction and evaluation methods; (3) survey; (4) prediction; (5) planning of countermeasures; and (6) evaluation. In this method, the ASJ Model 1998 developed by the Acoustical Society of Japan is adopted as a standard prediction model. For the covering abstract see ITRD E107776.