Residents of Vinalhaven, Maine filed a complaint with Maine's Department of Environmental Protection regarding excessive noise from the Fox Islands wind energy facility. The below report was submitted to the Department by EnRad's Warren Brown who conducted the review of the noise. Mr. Brown found that the project sound levels exceeded nighttime limits of 45 dBA. The original report is posted below and can be accessed, along with two accompanying documents, via the links below.
Residents of Vinalhaven, Maine filed a complaint with Maine's Department of Environmental Protection regarding excessive noise from the Fox Islands wind energy facility. The below report was submitted to the Department by EnRad's Warren Brown who conducted the review of the noise. Mr. Brown found that the project sound levels exceeded nighttime limits of 45 dBA. The original report is posted below and can be accessed, along with two accompanying documents, via the links below.
Subject: FW: July 17-18, 2010 Complaint Review
Date: Friday, September 10, 2010 3:07 PM
Below is the document that you are looking for. The attachments are other data that Warren Brown sent along with his review.
Becky Blais
Project Manager
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Land Resource Regulation
-----Original Message-----
From: Warren Brown [mailto:Warren_Brown@umit.maine.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 11:04 AM
To: Blais Becky
Subject: July 17-18, 2010 Complaint Review
Becky,
I have reviewed the July 17 & 18 FIWN noise complaint measured in Arthur Farnham's dooryard as submitted by Rick James in "2010-7-17 2233 MLC-RJ". I have reviewed FIW data (meteorological, sound, wav. files and turbine output) for compliance proxy point ML-C on the Webster property and predictions for compliance point ML-A on the Farnham property.
10 m average wind speeds ranged from 3.5 to 5.6 mph with maximums 5.9 to 10.2 mph which are within the compliance measurement criteria. The Farnham property ML-A location was crosswind from the turbine array center during the entire complaint period. The Webster property ML-C location was downwind for the first 30 minutes and then crosswind for the remainder of the complaint period.
Wind turbines were operating in NRO mode which limits sound power output, as follows T1 - 102 dBA; T2 - 100 dBA; T3 - 102 dBA.
I do not find significant wind interference with sound data during the complaint period based on the L10 - L90 values or time stamped audio files. L10 - L90 values were predominantly 3 dBA (5-10 minute intervals) and 4 dBA (3-10 minute intervals). The wind sound correlation employed by Accentech to estimate wind sound was based on measurements recorded at the Farnham property during ambient measurements (fall 2008) where the anemometer was at 14ft 2in elevation above the ground and partially obstructed by the residence and a nearby tree. The ML-C anemometer is 10 m above grade in an unobstructed location (Webster property). There is insufficient information to calculate a useful wind speed/noise level correlation at ML-C based on results derived in the fall of 2008.
SDRS and tonal penalty calculations were not included in the FIW data analysis. SDRS during the complaint period occurred infrequently and applied penalties did not result in a significant change in findings.
WTG 6.3kHz tonal sounds occurred during 2300-2350hrs. (5-10 minute intervals), but applied penalties did not result in a significant change in findings.
Conclusions/Recommendations.
I find no 10 m meteorological, audible or L10-L90 basis for applying a wind speed/noise level adjustment to ML-C measurements or ML-A calculated sound levels.
I have attached measured sound levels at the Webster property (ML-C) and EnRad estimated sound levels at the property line of the Farnham property ML-A, which indicates that FIW exceeded the nighttime noise limit of 45 dBA for 7-10 minute intervals during the complaint period.
The July 17 & 18 complaint conditions were very similar with regards to surface wind speeds and WTG output or 80m wind speeds (May data) as FIWN complaints previously submitted for May 1, 4, 5, & 6 all of which reported sound levels between 46-48 dBA. Although these complaints were prior to the "FIW compliance protocol" in timing, nonetheless there exists a significant body of consistent meteorological and sound data indicating sound levels greater than applicable limits.
Substantial changes are recommended for FIW nighttime operations, limiting WTG sound levels at ML-A to 45 dBA.
A review of the Compliance-Complaint data submission requirements for Fox Islands Wind, LLC is attached. Consultants for FIW and FIWN please note items requiring your attention and submission.
Warren
************************************************************************
******************************
Warren L. Brown
Radiation Safety Officer
University of Maine
5784 York Village Building 7
Orono, Maine 04469
Phone: (207) 827-6920
E-mail: warren.brown@maine.edu
Editor's note: The acronym FIW refers to the project, Fox Islands Wind. FIWN represents Fox Islands Wind Neighbors, the group of people impacted by the noise and who filed the complaint with the State.
