Section 1660-02-09-.01 - NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS(1) No person shall operate any vessel in or upon the waters of Tennessee in such a manner so that the total noise produced by the watercraft exceeds 86 dBA at a distance of 50 feet or more, whether or not said vessel is in motion. (a) Measurements shall be made with a Type I or Type II sound level meter which meets the requirements of the American National Standards Institute SI.4-1971.(b) Measurements shall be taken at a minimum distance of 50 feet, and in so far as practical, be taken at an angle approximately perpendicular to the vessel in question.(c) A test course, if used in testing, shall consist of an approximately straight course 50 yards in length through which the vessel in question shall operate at full throttle; measurements shall be made at a minimum distance of 50 feet and at an angle approximately perpendicular to the vessel near the center of the course.(d) Any duly commissioned officer of the Wildlife Resources Agency with a reason to suspect that a vessel is exceeding the noise limitation may require the vessel operator to transverse a noise emission test course as set forth herein.(e) Any person who fails to comply with the directive to transverse the test course shall be subject to prosecution under T.C.A. § 69-9-301 et seq. and/or at the discretion of the officer, the vessel shall be ordered to immediately return to its mooring and cease operations.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1660-02-09-.01
Original rule filed June 11, 1981; effective July 27, 1981. Amendment filed January 13, 2017; effective 4/13/2017.Authority: T.C.A. §§ 69-9-302 and 70-1-206.