Ghana - Complaint about Incessant Noise Pollution

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Procedure

Apply In-Person:

1. To Complaint about Incessant Noise Pollution, the applicant has to approach the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) office or Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Contact link or Contact link
2. The applicant must obtain a letter of complaint from the EPA or AMA office. If the complaint letter is not available, the applicant should write the complaint letter in the correct format, along with the relevant information.
3. The applicant has to make sure that he or she has all the required documents that are required for this process to be successful and they can be found under the "Required Documents" section of this page.
4. There is no fees for this procedure.
5. The applicant will be required to submit the supporting documentation, in addition to the duly written application form in all respect to the permit-issuing unit at the relevant authority.
6. If applicant’s complaint is correct, the EPA/AMA office will investigate his/her complaint and take appropriate action.
7. This process will take place within the next 24 hours after seeing applicant’s complaint.

Ways to report noise pollution

1. Report residential noise and noisy neighbours:
   • It's an offence to make unreasonable noise from a residence. There are rules about restricted times for noise in residential areas.
   • If applicant’s annoyed by a noisy neighbour, try to talk to them first. They may not be aware there’s a problem.
   • Find tips on dealing with residential noise in Annoyed by noise? (Publication 406).
   • Applicant can report residential noise to his/her local council.
   • Applicants can also report residential noise like late night parties to the police.
   • Contact the police at any time if applicant fined his/her noisy neighbour threatening.
   • If applicant’s property has an owners' corporation, it must have a complaints process. The Owners Corporations Act 2016 requires this. It can help applicants communicate with your neighbour to resolve the problem. Consumer Affairs Victoria has information on complaint handling in his/her owners' corporation.
   • The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can also help applicant resolve residential noise problems. They aim to help people settle their disputes in a cooperative and lasting way. The process relies on the parties involved discussing the problem in the presence of a mediator. Services are free and confidential.
2. Report noisy vehicles, trains and trams:
   • Report cars and vehicles driving with noisy exhausts to the police.
   • Report road traffic noise to the Department of Transport, applicant’s local council or the companies that manage the road.
   • There are times when the Regulations don’t allow unreasonable noise from vehicles on private property. Applicant can report this to his/her local council.
   • Report noise from public transport services to the companies that manage them. Only contact the Public Transport Ombudsman Victoria after applicants have given public transport companies the chance to respond to your concern.
   • Report noisy exhaust from large trucks and buses over 4.5 tonnes to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
   • Report noise from train and tram maintenance to EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
3. Report commercial or industrial noise:
   • Commercial and industrial noise can come from: offices, shops, factories, mines and quarries, farms.
   • To report noise from a commercial, industrial and trade premises, call EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
4. Report residential construction noise:
   • Residential construction noise, including from construction, demolition or removal, is managed through the Environment Protection Act 2017. The Environment Protection Regulations 2021 have specific unreasonable noise provisions that apply to the repair or maintenance of an existing residence.
   • EPA has given local councils powers to manage this type of noise. Some council may use other powers like local laws.
   • To report noise from residential construction sites, contact applicant’s local council.
5. Report construction noise:
   • Depending on what is being constructed, there are different working hours and requirements for managing construction noise.
   • Applicant can report noise pollution from a construction site. For example, noise that:
     • starts early in the morning
     • comes from a loud radio
     • goes on for a long time
     • Comes from vehicles at the site.
     • If construction noise is disturbing you, contact EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
6. Report major infrastructure noise:
   • EPA does not directly regulate noise from major infrastructure projects. Construction noise requirements are usually part of a project’s approval conditions.
   • The infrastructure project builder will have contractual obligations to manage noise and vibration.
   • Report noise from major infrastructure projects on 1800 105 105 (24 hours/7 days).
   • Find out more about Victoria’s major road and rail projects.
7. Report Road works noise:
   • Noises from major road projects, including road upgrades, are managed by Major Road Projects Victoria.
   • Report noise from major road projects on 1800 105 105 (24 hours/7 days).
   • Report noise from routine road repair and maintenance to Vic Roads, as part of Department of Transport, your local council, or the companies that manage the road.
   • If you aren’t sure who manages the road, see Victoria’s road network.
8. Report music noise from indoor entertainment Venus:
   • Music noise can come from indoor entertainment venues including:
     • Hotels
     • Restaurants
     • Nightclubs
     • live music venues
     • health and fitness centres
   • Report music noise from indoor venues to applicant local council or the police.  Police can direct venues to immediately stop noise after midnight.
   • Applicant may wish to speak to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation in relation to noise related complaints from licensed premises.
   • Applicant can also speak with EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
9. Report music noise from indoor entertainment Venus:
   • Applicant can report music noise from public places playing music or making noise outside or into the open air. Outdoor entertainment venues include:
     • outdoor sports and recreation facilities
     • private land used for open-air events like music festivals and concerts
     • Temporary structures like marquees or sound stages on public land
   • Music noise includes music and other sounds like:
     • live or recorded music
     • voices, like crowd noise or announcements
     • Amplified sounds and sound effects that happen with music
   • Report music noise from large outdoor entertainment venues to EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
   • Report noise from community events on public land to applicant local council.
10. Report wind energy facilities noise:
    • You can report concerns about wind energy facility noise emissions to the wind energy facility operator. The operator will respond according to their complaints management procedures. If unresolved, report concerns about noise pollution to EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.

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Required Documents

• Complaint letter
• Proof of the noise pollution (video and videos or others)
• Proof of identity of the applicant (if any)

Office Locations & Contacts

Environmental protection agency (EPA)
Address: HR22+H42, Accra, Ghana
Postal address: P.O .Box M.326 Accra, Ghana
Email id: [email protected]
Phone number: 0302 664697-8/ 0302 662690
Location link
Contact link

Accra Metropolitan Assembly
County government office in Accra, Ghana
HQ2W+7HM, Accra, Ghana
GA-143-7447
P.O. Box GP 385, Accra Central, Accra, Ghana
Phone:+233 30 266 3947
Email: [email protected]
Contact link

Eligibility

• Ghanaian citizens and Non-Ghanaians are eligible to complaint about Incessant Noise Pollution.

Fees

• There is no fees for this procedure.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• This process will take place within the next 24 hours after seeing applicant’s complaint.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• How applicant report a noise complaint depends on where the noise is coming from.
• If applicant is not sure who to complain about noise to, call EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
• This process will take place within the next 24 hours after seeing applicant’s complaint.

Required Information

Pollution report

• Pollutions type
• First name of the applicant
• Last name of the applicant
• Contact number of the applicant
• Address of the applicant
• Email id of the applicant
• Describe the pollution
• Where are you experiencing this pollution?
• How is the pollution impacting you?
• Where do you believe the pollution is coming from?
• What was the date you experienced this pollution?
• What time did you experience this pollution?
• Have you experienced this before?
• Please describe the scale of pollution by stating a number between 1 & 10, with 10 being the worst
• If applicant can determine the wind direction, please state the direction. If you are unable to, please say unknown.
• Is this an on- going issue?
• Is this issue still occurring?
• If this respective officers need to contact applicant for further information, are he/she willing to assist?
• Would the applicant like to be notified of the outcome of his/her report?
• Do applicants consent for his/her details to be passed onto other government agencies if required?
• Do applicants have any images or video relating to this report?

Need for the Document

• Noise pollution caused by noise and hazards to people can be avoided by filing this complaint. This complaint will greatly help to avoid noise nuisance if humans, animals, birds are not to be affected and the environment is not polluted by this noise.

Information which might help

• In Ghana permissible ambient noise as set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for residential areas requires that, during the day noise levels should not be above 55 decibels during the day and 48 at night (EPA, 2008).

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what other uses of obtaining this document/certificate are.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Link
  

Others

More information which might help people.