By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has disclosed that it received more than 1,100 complaints about noise pollution—mainly from construction activities—within the past two years. The revelation came during the EPA’s in-house program EPA 360, where Executive Director Kemraj Parsram addressed the agency’s ongoing challenges in managing environmental concerns.
According to Parsram, only about 300 of those complaints have been fully investigated and resolved, while 866 cases remain active.
“We’ve managed to investigate 300 and deal with them. We have another 866 that we’re still actively working on,” he explained.
Parsram noted that while construction is a major contributor, the EPA is responsible for overseeing environmental issues across all sectors, including manufacturing, mining, and agriculture—often with limited manpower.
“We are only 170-something staff, including administrative personnel. Imagine handling complaints from all sectors across the country,” he emphasized.
One major source of noise complaints stems from road construction, particularly from subcontracted truck drivers hauling materials at excessive speeds.
“They don’t always abide by speed limits. On open roads, fast driving on dry surfaces causes noise, vibration, and a lot of dust,” Parsram said, adding that these issues often require the involvement of other government agencies to properly address.
The EPA says it remains committed to addressing the growing number of environmental concerns, but emphasizes the need for public cooperation and inter-agency coordination to effectively tackle noise pollution and other pressing issues.
