An independent analysis commissioned by Save Long Beach Island has found that the proposed Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project could generate noise levels exceeding both national and state standards.
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind hired two companies to conduct an analysis of the project’s noise effects upon discovering that neither the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind nor the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have ever conducted a noise disruption analysis for an offshore wind project so close to the shoreline.
In its environmental impact statement, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind stated that “onshore noise from offshore activities will be negligible” and “operational noise from the offshore turbines will not be audible onshore.” However, XI Engineering and Rand Acoustics, a company that has been previously tapped to provide expert testimony on noise exposure level prediction in at least a dozen proposed wind turbine projects, found otherwise. After conducting two data analyses, XI Engineering concluded that the long-term running of the 195 proposed wind turbines will reach at least 45 A-weighted decibels for many of the Long Beach Island residents. This exceeds the American National Standards Institute criteria for low-frequency noise. However, changes in atmospheric conditions can contribute to even higher operational noise levels that exceed New Jersey standards. “These conditions recur at semi-regular intervals, especially in the spring and summer, and can increase noise levels by 10 to 17 decibels,” Thomas Stavola Jr., the attorney representing Save Long Beach Island, said in a statement. “And besides the audible component of the wind turbine-generator-induced noise, people will also experience low-frequency and infrasonic (below the range of human hearing) sound energy, which has been shown to negatively impact health.” Rand Acoustics, which conducted just one analysis, corroborated XI Engineering’s findings. In addition, Rand Acoustics found that the “intrusive noise levels” of the operating wind project could “exceed the New Jersey night noise limit of 50 dBBA” approximately one-third of nights per year
WIND POWER NOISE POLLUTION OFFSHORE WIND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT HEALTH CONCERNS
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