§901.109. Highly Impulsive Sound From Explosive Blasting

a)         During the daytime hours that cover the period after sunrise and before sunset, a person must not cause or allow any explosive blasting conducted on any Class C land, other than land used as specified by LBCS Codes 8300 and 8500, to allow the sound emissions to any receiving Class A or B land that exceeds the allowable outdoor C-weighted sound levels specified in the following table, when measured with slow dynamic characteristic at any point within the receiving Class A or B land.

 

Allowable Outdoor C-Weighted Sound Exposure Levels in Decibels of Explosive Blasting Sounds Emitted to Receiving Class A or B Land from Any Class C Land other than Land Used as Specified by LBCS Code 8300 or 8500
Receiving Class A Land	Receiving Class B Land
107	112

 

The allowable sound exposure level limits in the above table must be lowered by three decibels (3 dB) for each doubling of the number of blasts during the day or night.

 

b)         Compliance with outdoor peak sound pressure level limits in the following table is prima facie level limits of this Section when measured on the receiving Class A or B land.

 

Equivalent Maximum Sound Pressure Level  (Peak) Limits in Decibels
Lower Frequency Limit of Measuring System for Flat Response, a Variation from Linear Response of ± 3 dB (Hz)	Receiving Class A Land (dB)	Receiving Class B Land (dB)
≤  2.0 but > 0.1	133	133

 

c)         During the period defined by both the beginning of the nighttime hours (10:00 pm) or sunset, whichever occurs earlier, and the ending of the nighttime hours (7:00 am) or sunrise, whichever occurs later, the allowable sound level limits in subsections (a) and (b) must be reduced by 10 decibels except in emergency situations where rain, lightning, other atmospheric conditions, or operator or public safety requires unscheduled nighttime hour explosive blasting.

 

d)         Persons causing or allowing explosive blasting to be conducted on any Class C land other than land used as specified by LBCS Code 8300 or 8500 must notify the local public of the blasting prior to its occurrence, except when emergency situations require unscheduled blasting, by publication of a blasting schedule, identifying the work days or dates and time periods when explosives are expected to be detonated, at least every three months in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality of the blast site.

 

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 20453, effective November 1, 2018)