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Allowable noise limit increases with wind
Credit: www.orangeville.com 6 July 2011 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Developers and our government will state that the maximum allowable limit of wind turbine noise is 40 decibels; however ministry guidelines allow the noise levels to increase from 40 dBa to 51 dBa under increased wind conditions.
A 10 decibel increase in noise is perceived as a doubling of sound to the human ear. Noise coming from wind turbines does not match the sound of a refrigerator or a quiet library as we so often hear. Under most circumstances loud noise is short term that will pass by, can be turned down or shut off.
With wind projects none of the above applies. The dynamics of living surrounded by multiple turbines cannot be compared to other community noises.
The noise is not only loud, it is cyclical in nature and there is no ability to turn it down or shut it off at two in the morning when families cannot sleep. The audible noise problem is compounded by the presence of low frequency noise. This is noise you cannot hear but you can feel. It penetrates walls.
This combination can keep people awake part of the night, or in some severe cases all night, on an ongoing basis. There is no reprieve and in some cases they have no choice but to abandon their home.
It is known that many of these wind projects are operating with noise levels that are out of compliance, exceeding even the maximum 51 dBa noise level allowed. The general public is unaware of this because the ministry has chosen to leave wind projects out of the traditional checks and balances that other industry must abide by.
Wind turbines and transformer stations must have a Certificate of Approval to operate. If they are operating out of compliance, there should be some record of contravention of the approval, but oddly there are no contraventions listed on the ministry’s annual reports from any wind developer even with documented exceedances in hand.
It is no wonder the public is confused. This provincial government is doing a grand job of it.
Barbara Ashbee,
Orangeville
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