Resident urges county-level action on noise pollution at Yarmouth Board of Health meeting

Harris Ktos urged the Town of Yarmouth Board of Health on June 15 to treat noise pollution as a recognized public-health hazard and press for county-level action. Speaking during the public-comment portion of the meeting, Ktos summarized prior testimony to county commissioners and asked the board to support broader policy work on noise control.

Ktos told the board that scientific understanding of noise’s health effects has grown and that the problem has worsened over decades, in part because of insufficient funding for research, policy development and enforcement. He pointed to the American Public Health Association’s framing of noise as a public-health hazard and likened the challenge to past county tobacco-control efforts, suggesting that education plus enforcement and revised bylaws are necessary.

He recommended coordinated action across town boards of health and select boards, and said the tobacco-control program could serve as a model. Ktos also proposed a county office or regional initiative to centralize expertise and to make a stronger case to potential state, federal and nonprofit funders.

The board acknowledged the comment and the speaker’s recent follow-up meeting with a county health official, but members did not take formal action during the session. The board chair asked staff to file the transcript and noted the comment would be part of the record for future consideration.

Next steps: the board did not vote on a specific noise-control proposal at the June 15 meeting; Ktos said he plans additional meetings with county staff to continue the work.