Because areas with a low noise levels are rather scarce in The
Netherlands the Environmental Protection Act foresees in the
assignment of quiet zones in the Netherlands. In these zones
the noise level should not exceed the "natural level". The
national environmental policy plan (incorporated by the
ministry of Environment) aims, in consultation with other
municipalities, at the enlargement of the area quiet zones in
The Netherlands before the year 2000 (of which a total 200 000
hectares has to be in the vicinity of agglomerations). At
present a total of 390 000 hectares of quiet zones is
established and another 160 000 hectares are assigned as
potential quiet zones. An overlay of the quiet zones with the
maps that indicate the disturbed area by noise shows that the
total disturbed area in these quiet zones is rather low
compared to the national average. As expected the percentage
disturbed area in the already established quiet zones is lower
that in the areas that will probably assigned as quiet zones
in the future. An exception is the percentage disturbed area
due to air lanes. This percentage is higher in the (potential)
quiet zones because these are located in the most scarcely
populated areas of The Netherlands, the same areas where the
(potential) quiet zones are situated.
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