Bennett M. Brooks
Brooks Acoust. Corp., 27 Hartford Tnpke., Vernon, CT 06066
T. James DuBois
Acentech, Canoga Park, CA 91303
Robert M. Hoover
Hoover and Keith, Inc., Houston, TX 77082
George C. Maling
Empire State Software Systems, Ltd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Louis C. Sutherl
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274
Much progress has been made over the past 25 years in the United States to define the dangers of excessive noise exposure, and to develop the means to control it. A significant portion of this progress was stimulated by government actions, to regulate the industries which produce noise, establish community and workplace noise standards, and to promote research and development in noise control. Today, the pressures of competition in the global marketplace, which did not exist 25 years ago, are rapidly increasing the motivation for noise control in the private sector. Those industries which seek to sell their products worldwide, particularly in Europe or Japan, find that they must meet stricter standards than now exist in the U.S. Further, foreign companies which already live with stricter standards are producing quiet products that compete for sales in the U.S. These challenges present both a threat and an opportunity to the U.S. economy. Several actions which can be immediately taken to address these issues are suggested.