The prediction of neighborhood reaction to industrial noise can be a complex problem, particularly when the noise sources are intermittent in time and distributed spatially throughout the industrial plant area. In a recent study, such a situation was examined and solved using the method of “composite noise rating,” developed some years ago for application to the aircraft‐ and airport‐noise problems. By this technique, the various parameters relating to the source, the transmission path, and the exposed community are combined to produce contours of equal subjective exposure around the source area. By correlating these contours with different levels of community reaction, we may then differentiate between land areas which will or will not be suited to future development.