April 23, 2009, 1 e-mail

W. K. wrote:

It was a great piece this morning. Noise watch info can be had from http://www.oen.ca/dir/detail.php?id=1253

S. R. wrote:

An excellent radio broadcast this morning on Metro Morning (CBC) began with "our" piledrivers and included an interview with an expert, Arlene Bronzaft*, who talked about the damage noise can do. She made the point that noise is not mere annoyance.

You may be able to download the interview on the Best of Metro Morning. http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?48#ref48 but not all content is podcast.

Arline Bronzaft is also a member of the Cdn organization Noise Watch which has some information on its rather awful web site. It does include the "noise myth" that loud sound damages only your hearing. Not true, it says, as loud sound can change your heart rate, vision and reaction time. It may make you more aggressive and in general, negatively affect you.

• Arline L Bronzaft, Lehman College, member of the Board of Directors, Council on the Environment of New York City, 505 East 79 Street #8B, New York NY 10021, USA

K. M. wrote:

I have also had some property damage that includes cracks in the plaster when it was closer to our end. I share the concern that it is difficult to tell if there is more serious damage.

I think there is a case for making the process of assessing these complaints re damage more open and accessible. At present you have to let the worksite office you are intending to make a claim and then it is sorted through the insurance companies. I wonder if a some of us work in concert that the claims may be more effective.

They were to have offered prior assessments to households within a certain range of the site and they did not. The process of protecting residential property is faulty and was not followed as it should have. I am willing to talk to you more about what we did if you like