In Chile’s Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), noise and vibration are among the components that draw the most observations from the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA). A weak baseline study or a poorly justified prediction can trigger an Adenda —and with it, additional months of processing. Getting the acoustic component right from the outset is the most effective way to avoid delays in your Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA).
When are noise and vibration assessed in the SEIA?
Every project entering the SEIA —whether through an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) or an Environmental Impact Study (EIA), under Law No. 19,300 and its Regulation (Supreme Decree No. 40/2012 of the MMA)— must rule out or characterize its noise and vibration impacts on surrounding receptors. The assessment combines two pieces: a baseline study measuring existing levels before the project, and an impact prediction that models the construction and operation phases. The SEA has a dedicated guide for predicting and assessing noise and vibration impacts, which sets out the expected methodology.
Levels are compared against the applicable standard —for fixed sources, the new Supreme Decree No. 14/2024, which replaces D.S. No. 38/2011— as well as construction noise. For vibration, since there is no specific national standard, international reference standards (such as the FTA’s) are used to assess both human annoyance and potential structural damage.
The most frequent SEA observations
Most observations recur and are avoidable:
- Insufficient baseline: too few measurement points, or measurements that fail to represent critical hours and conditions.
- Poorly identified sensitive receptors: homes, schools or hospitals within the area of influence left out of the analysis.
- Unsupported modeling assumptions: sound power levels, screening or meteorological conditions that cannot be traced.
- Generic mitigation measures: commitments with no calculation demonstrating their effectiveness.
- Omitting vibration: noise is assessed but vibration is not, even when the project clearly generates it.
How to prepare and avoid the Adenda
The goal is to deliver a noise and vibration chapter the reviewer can approve on the first pass. That means building a representative, early baseline, identifying every sensitive receptor, modeling with verifiable assumptions (for example, with software such as CadnaA), and proposing concrete, quantified mitigation measures —all aligned with the SEA guide and the standard in force.
How we help
At Acústica Austral we carry out environmental noise and vibration impact studies for the SEIA end to end: from the baseline and predictive modeling to the technical response to the ICSARA and the Adenda. Our experience spans energy, mining, port, infrastructure and real-estate projects, as well as work for the regulator itself in drafting standards.
If your project is about to enter the SEIA or has already received observations, book a 20-minute call and we’ll review your case.
He leads Acústica Austral’s environmental noise and vibration studies for the SEIA across energy, port and infrastructure projects, and has contributed to reference work for Chile’s Ministry of the Environment.
Meet the team →Free resources for your project
Guide to the D.S. N°14/2024 and the acoustic checklist for entering the SEIA, in PDF. We email them to you.