NYC Admin Code §24-232 limits industrial noise to 42 dB(A) inside any residence and 7 dB above ambient at the property line between 10 PM and 7 AM. DEP enforces via 311.
Industrial noise in Brooklyn — from manufacturing in Sunset Park's Industry City, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Gowanus fabrication shops, and East Williamsburg M-zones — is governed by NYC Admin Code §24-232. Stationary sources including HVAC, generators, compressors, loading docks, and manufacturing equipment cannot produce sound that exceeds 42 dB(A) as measured inside any nearby residential dwelling, or exceed the ambient level by more than 7 dB(A) at the property line between 10 PM and 7 AM. Circulation devices (rooftop AC, restaurant exhaust) have a specific 42 dB(A) interior limit at all hours. Truck idling beyond 3 minutes is prohibited citywide under §24-163, and 1 minute adjacent to a school. Construction noise uses a separate standard under §24-219 requiring a site-specific Noise Mitigation Plan and generally limiting work to 7 AM to 6 PM weekdays. DEP inspectors issue notices of violation adjudicated through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). Repeated industrial violators can face escalated penalties and required sound-mitigation retrofits.
First violation: $560 to $3,500. Second violation within 18 months: $880 to $4,200. Third: $1,400 to $24,000 depending on device. Construction violations can reach $25,000 per day.
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