University of Manitoba study suggests noise pollution regulation needs to change

Pumpjacks at work pumping crude oil near Stettler, Alta., June 20, 2007.(Larry MacDougal / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A new study out of the University of Manitoba suggests how we regulate noise pollution needs to change.

In 2013, a research team set out to understand the impact of noise from oil wells in southern Alberta on prairie songbirds.

“What was striking was that drilling noise, actually drilling the oil well, that had negative impacts. So it’s not the length of exposure, it’s the type of noise,” said Patricia Rosa, an assistant professor at St. George’s University, who was involved in the study.

Rosa said the drilling noises were more unpredictable and erratic compared to those of the oil well operation noises and led to negative impacts on the birds.

Results indicated songbirds actively avoided the noisy areas and even those that stayed around to nest showed reduced reproductive success. The impacts were fewer in the operational noise area.

“Right now, a lot of the regulations have to do with how loud the noises are and how long the exposure is but that’s not necessarily the case. It’s a little more nuanced than that,” Rosa said. “The type of noise has a bigger impact than what we thought and needs to be considered for regulation.”

To ensure the impacts of noise were not related to oil well infrastructure, the researchers set up audio equipment in areas where the rigs were not present.

Two different soundtracks were played; one included sounds of a new well being drilled over two 10-day periods, the other of oil well operation noise for 90 days.

To illustrate the difference in noises, Rosa used living next to a construction site as an example. The constant sound of a loud generator would be annoying, but most people would be able to tune it out and get on with the task at hand. However, add in the sounds of trucks backing up, horns honking, yelling and pipes banging, keeping your concentration is more difficult despite the duration of those noises being shorter.

For a person, the disruption might mean difficulties in reading or concentrating but for a bird, it can lead to an impaired ability to watch out for predators or gather food.

The study’s findings could be used to change industry behaviours and regulations when it comes to working in wildlife areas.

Rosa said real-world solutions could include using noise barriers for loud operations or limiting access to sensitive breeding grounds during nesting seasons.

Future research is planned to look at wildlife noise regulation in other countries and if it takes into consideration the type or predictability of noise.

The paper was recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.