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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. on Tuesday called on the Senate to act expeditiously on amendments he submitted to the 29th Legislature which, when enacted, will preserve the tranquility of our islands and satisfy repeated complaints of residents of a steady increase in both the volume and nuisance of loud noises.
“None who have long resided in our territory can deny that the…noises have had a negative impact on our quality of life, especially in our more densely populated and municipal areas. Far beyond the expected sounds of the annual celebrations of Festival or Carnival or the Fourth of July, too often we find ourselves intruded upon, disturbed and perturbed by amplified music, sometimes late into the night,” de Jongh wrote in correspondence to Senate President Ronald Russell. De Jongh’s proposed legislation would amend the Noise Pollution Control Laws already on the books.
Citing the need to fight back against unnecessary and unacceptable affronts to our peace of mind, de Jongh explained his administration’s two-fold approach to modernizing the provisions of the Noise Pollution Control Laws. “We are seeking with these amendments to bring the statutory noise standards and punishment for their violation into the modern era. Concurrently, the Police Department has now acquired the measuring devices that will allow there to be fair and impartial enforcement of existing standards. Proper training of personnel in the use of this equipment will be able to be completed upon the passage of this legislation,” the governor said Tuesday.
De Jongh explained that revising the Noise Pollution laws required a careful balancing of competing policies, namely the promotion of a lively, vibrant and successful nightlife for all three islands as well as maintaining the tranquility and peace of paradise. “In balancing these competing policies, I brought together the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, the V.I. Police Department and staff of my office to create the amendments. In these amendments, a balance was reached with regard to noise levels, varying the permitted decibels based on time of day and time of week. Almost all of us agree that these are not justifiable interferences with our right to quietly enjoy our residences and public places. We simply must not learn to put up with it. A self-centered insistence on the right to produce noise that is intrusive and damaging to the rights of others must be thwarted,” de Jongh said.
De Jongh said the leadership of both the Police Department and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs will appear before a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, November 9 at which time officials can provide finer details of the amendments he proposed today.
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