The Willow Creek Energy Center is in violation of state noise standards for at least three nearby homes, its acoustical expert revealed at a planning commission meeting Tuesday night. Still up for debate, according to the other experts in attendance, is how much and how often.

The meeting amounted to a day in court for the neighbors of the wind farm - Dan Williams, Mike and Sherry Eaton and Dennis Wade - who began complaining about farm's noise and other effects last year.

According to Oregon Administrative Rule, energy-generating facilities can be as loud as 36 decibels at adjacent homes - that's 26 decibels for background noise plus 10 for the facility. In the analysis of the acoustical expert that Invenergy hired, Michael Theriault of Portland, Maine, the noise at the Wade residence was usually less than 36 decibels. At the Eaton residence, it was usually less than 37 decibels. At the... [continue via Web link]