At the end of 2017, the Krakow City Hall and Lublin City Council adopted acoustic maps prepared by EKKOM. The city’s acoustic maps are periodically compelled by the provisions of the Environmental Protection Law Act.
Preparation of the acoustic maps is the first stage of a project. Next one is the development of a programme to protect the environment from noise. Acoustic map is the primary source of data used to inform the public about the risks associated with noise pollution and to develop and update programmes to minimise the harmful effects of noise pollution.
The maps illustrate various noise sources: road, rail and industrial, and in the case of Kraków also tram and municipal noise sources. They contain descriptive and graphic parts. They include data on, inter alia, number of inhabitants, dwellings and land area exposed to noise as well as number of people exposed to noise levels above acceptable standards. Summary of a map contains conclusions and interpretations, including the impact of the current acoustic state of the environment on the residents and the possibilities of implementing specific solutions in the area of noise protection.
Measurements of environmental noise levels, which are the basis for the map, must be carried out by accredited laboratories. EKKOM laboratory has had such a certificate since 2009.