Appendix N

Noise Reports

ACOUSTIC STUDY OF THE GALLOO ISLAND WIND TURBINES HOUNSFIELD, NEW YORK

October 2009

ACOUSTIC STUDY OF THE GALLOO ISLAND WIND TURBINES HOUNSFIELD, NEW YORK

Prepared for: American Consulting Professionals of New York, PLLC 70 Niagara Street, Suite 410 Buffalo, NY 14202 and Watertown Development of NY LLC 950-A Union Road, Suite 20 West Seneca, NY 14224-3454

Prepared by: Tech Environmental, Inc. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 295 Waltham, MA 02451

October 22, 2009

TableofContents

1.0 2.0 3.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 1 COMMON MEASURES OF COMMUNITY SOUND ................................................... 3 NOISE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA ......................................................................... 5 3.1 State Noise Guidelines ............................................................................................ 5 3.2 Audibility and Pure Tones....................................................................................... 6 3.2 Audibility and Pure Tones....................................................................................... 7

4.0 5.0

AMBIENT SOUND LEVEL MEASUREMENTS .......................................................... 8 CALCULATED FUTURE SOUND LEVELS ................................................................. 9 5.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 9 5.2 Modeling Results at Shoreline Locations.............................................................. 10 5.3 Low Frequency Analysis at Shoreline Locations .................................................. 11 5.4 Modeling Results for Worker Housing ................................................................. 13

ii

1.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Watertown Development of NY, LLC proposes to locate 84 Vestas V90 3.0 MW wind turbines on Galloo Island in eastern Lake Ontario more than 7 miles from the mainland. To respond to comments collected for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, an assessment was done of the projects sound effects to: 1) the nearest mainland locations (Lyme, New York), and 2) the on-island housing for the workers who will maintain the wind turbines on Galloo Island. Tech Environmental (TE) performed a study of the sound effects from the wind farm on the nearest shoreline locations including South Shore Road Extension in Lyme, Beach Road in Lyme, Flanders Road in Lyme, Fox Island Road on Fox Island, and Pillar Point in Brownsville. Ambient sound levels from a similar offshore wind project, the Cape Wind Project, were used to estimate the Leq1 ambient sound levels at the five shoreline receptors. These data were approved by the NYS DEC for use on this project. To ensure a conservative analysis, only the quieter off-shore wind measurements from the Cape Wind project for an isolated location with no boat or motor vehicle noise (Point Gammon, Yarmouth) were utilized. The criteria used for the shoreline locations of the mainland were the NYS DEC incremental sound guidelines and potential audibility.

To protect employees on the island, TE also studied the projects sound effects on the outdoor environment at the workers residential buildings that will be built on Galloo Island. The criterion for this employee effects portion of the study was the OSHA hearing conservation action level of 85 dBA. This is a conservative threshold since hearing protection for workers is not required except when sound levels exceed 90 dBA.

Future sound levels from the Galloo Island wind turbines were calculated with the Cadna/A acoustic model. Cadna/A is a sophisticated 3-D model for sound propagation and attenuation based on International Standard ISO 9613. Predicted maximum sound levels are conservative because: 1) The model was instructed to ignore foliage sound absorption; 2) The model assumes partial reflection from soft ground surfaces which typically absorb sound; 3) The model assumes Lake Ontario is a perfectly reflective surface and ignores the effects of waves in scattering sound waves; 4) The acoustic model assumes a ground-based temperature inversion, such as those that may occur on calm, clear nights
1

The Leq, or equivalent sound level, is the metric which New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) uses to establish ambient sound levels.

when sound propagation is most favorable, but wind turbine operation is least likely; and 5) The turbine maximum sound power level includes a 2-dBA safety margin.

The studys conclusions are as follows: The maximum predicted wind farm sound levels at the five closest shoreline receptors are only 14.3 to 32.5 A-weighted decibels (dBA) and far below the minimum ambient sound level of 50.7 dBA associated with the turbine design wind condition (9 m/s wind speed at hub height). The maximum increase in the ambient sound level at the shoreline is only 0.1 dBA and well within the NYS DEC-recommended 6-dBA threshold. Analysis of the broadband and octave band sound levels reveals that the wind farm will not be audible at any shoreline location, and there will be no perceptible infrasound or very low frequency sound from the Galloo Island wind farm. The predicted maximum outdoor sound level at the worker housing area on Galloo Island is 58.1 dBA and safely in compliance with the OSHA hearing conservation action level of 85 dBA. An outdoor sound level of 58 dBA is typical for an urban area and will not interfere with outdoor activities at the worker residential buildings. A wind turbine outdoor sound level of 58 dBA is less than the 65 dBA level that is typical for a conversation between two people standing a few feet apart.

2.0

COMMON MEASURES OF COMMUNITY SOUND

All sounds originate with a source a human voice, vehicles on a roadway, or an airplane overhead. The sound energy moves from the source to a persons ears as sound waves, which are minute variations in air pressure. The loudness of a sound depends on the sound pressure level, defined as the ratio of two pressures: the measured sound pressure from the source divided by a reference pressure (the quietest sound we can hear). The unit of sound pressure is the decibel (dB). The decibel scale is logarithmic to accommodate the wide range of sound intensities to which the human ear is subjected. On this scale, the quietest sound we can hear is 0 dB, while the loudest is 120 dB. Most sounds we hear in our daily lives have sound pressure levels in the range of 30 dB to 100 dB.

A property of the decibel scale is that the sound pressure levels of two separate sounds are added the result is not simply the numerical sum. For example, if a sound of 70 dB is added to another sound of 70 dB, the total is only a 3-decibel increase (or 73 dB), not 140 dB. In terms of the human perception of sound, a halving or doubling of loudness requires changes in the sound pressure level of about 10 dB; for broadband sounds, 3 dB is the minimum perceptible change.

Sound exposure in a community is commonly expressed in terms of the A-weighted sound level (dBA); A-weighting approximates the frequency response of the human ear. Levels of many sounds change from moment to moment. Some are sharp impulses lasting 1 second or less, while others rise and fall over much longer periods of time. There are various measures of sound pressure designed for different purposes. The Leq, or equivalent sound level, is the steady-state sound level over a period of time that has the same acoustic energy as the fluctuating sounds that actually occurred during that same period. It is commonly referred to as the average broadband sound level. This is the metric which New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) uses to establish ambient sound levels. The Lmax, or maximum sound level, represents the one second peak level experienced during a given time period. Sound level measurements typically include an analysis of the sound spectrum into its various frequency components to determine tonal characteristics. The unit of frequency is Hertz (Hz), measuring the cycles per second of the sound pressure waves, and typically the frequency analysis examines ten octave bands from 32 to 16,000 Hz. Typical sound levels associated with various activities and environments are present in Table 1.

TABLE 1 COMMON INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SOUND LEVELS

Outdoor Sound Levels

Sound Pressure (Pa) 6,324,555

Sound Level (dBA) 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55

Indoor Sound Levels Rock Band at 5 m Inside New York Subway Train Food Blender at 1 m Garbage Disposal at 1 m Shouting at 1 m Vacuum Cleaner at 3 m Normal Speech at 1 m Quiet Conversation at 1 m

Jet Over-Flight at 300 m 2,000,000 Gas Lawn Mower at 1 m 632,456 Diesel Truck at 15 m Noisy Urban Area Daytime Gas Lawn Mower at 30 m Suburban Commercial Area 20,000 Quiet Urban Area Daytime 6,325 Quiet Urban Area Nighttime 2,000 Quiet Suburb Nighttime 632 Quiet Rural Area Nighttime Rustling Leaves 200 63 Reference Pressure Level 20 200,000 63,246

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Human Breathing Threshold of Hearing Quiet Bedroom at Night Empty Concert Hall Average Whisper Broadcast and Recording Studios Empty Theater or Library

Note: Micro-Pascals (Pa) describe sound pressure levels (force/area). A-weighted decibels (dBA) describe sound pressure on a logarithmic scale with respect to 20 Pa (reference pressure level).

3.0

NOISE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA

3.1

State Noise Guidelines

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) uses a noise guideline document2 to assess noise impacts under the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process. The Guideline states The Leq value provides an indication of the effects of sound on people. It is also useful in establishing the ambient sound level at a potential noise source Appropriate receptor locations may be either at the property line of the parcel upon which the facility is located or at the location of use or inhabitance on adjacent property.3 The Guideline goes on to say In non-industrial settings the [sound pressure level] SPL should probably not exceed ambient noise by more than 6 dBA at the receptor, but also notes There may be occasions where an increase in SPLs of greater than 6 dBA might be acceptable. The addition of any noise source, in a non-industrial setting, should not raise the ambient noise level above a maximum of 65 dBA.4 For this project, the NYS DEC Leq guideline was applied at the closest off-island shoreline receptors with residential land use, shown in Figure 1: South Shore Road Extension, Town of Lyme Beach Road, Town of Lyme Flanders Road, Town of Lyme Fox Island Road, Fox Island Pillar Point, Town of Brownsville

The results of the analysis are presented in Sections 5.2 and 5.3. In addition, the OSHA hearing conservation action level5 of 85 dBA was applied to the worker housing area for the project on Galloo Island. The OSHA assessment results are presented in Section 5.4.

NYS DEC, Assessing and Mitigating Noise Impacts, Program Policy Guideline DEP-00-1, February 2001. DEC staff note that this document is presently being revised. 3 Ibid, pp. 12-13. 4 Ibid, p. 14. 5 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Occupational noise exposure, 29 CFR 1910.95.

Fox Island Road

Flanders Road Pillar Point Beach Road

South Shore Road Extension

GALLOO ISLAND

N Stony Island

Figure 1 Sound Modeling Locations Galloo Island Wind Farm

3.2

Audibility and Pure Tones

According to ANSI Standards, an audible pure tone occurs when the 1/3-octave band in a sound power spectrum is higher than the numerical mean of the two adjacent bands by 5 to 15 dB, with the threshold of 5 dB corresponding to high frequencies (> 500 Hz) and the 15-dB threshold corresponding to low frequencies (< 125 Hz).6 Application of the ANSI definition to the sound power spectrum for the Vestas V90 wind turbines reveals there are no audible pure tones produced by the wind turbines.

A 3-dBA increase in sound is the threshold of perceptibility and occurs when a new sound source is exactly equal to the existing average (Leq) sound level. Thus, when a new sound source produces a sound pressure level that is below the existing sound level, the new sound source will not be audible unless it produces a pure tone. Since a new sound source is likely to have a different spectrum from the background noise, the threshold for audibility is more difficult to quantify. A study done for the National Park Service7 established that aircraft flying over the Grand Canyon, which has very low background sound levels, first became audible when the aircraft sound was 8 dBA below the average background level (Leq), and the audibility occurred at that low of a level because of the tonal character of the aircraft noise. The Vestas wind turbines do not have the tonal characteristics of an aircraft, thus the audibility threshold for the wind turbine sound is somewhere between 0 and 8 dBA below the existing Leq sound level. For this study, an audibility threshold of 5 dBA below the Existing Leq level was assumed.

American National Standards Institute, ANSI S12.0-1996/Part 4, Noise Assessment and Prediction of Long-Term Community Response, 1996, p. 15. 7 National Park Service, Review of Scientific Basis for Change in Noise Impact Assessment Method Used at Grand Canyon National Park, January 2000.

4.0

AMBIENT SOUND LEVEL MEASUREMENTS

Ambient sound levels from a similar offshore wind project, the Cape Wind Project,8 were used to estimate the Leq ambient sound levels at the five shoreline receptors listed in Section 3.1. These data were approved by the NYS DEC for use on this project for the EIS review.9 To ensure a conservative analysis, only the quieter off-shore wind measurements from the Cape Wind project for an isolated location with no boat or motor vehicle noise (Point Gammon, Yarmouth) were utilized. A two-week monitoring program during the months of November and December revealed a minimum Leq sound level of 50.7 dBA during off-shore winds that were at the turbine design wind speed, a minimum Leq sound level of 60.8 dBA during on-shore winds at the design wind speed, and a minimum Leq sound level of 46.5 dBA during light winds corresponding to the turbine cut-in wind speed. This analysis was done for the maximum turbine sound power level, which first occurs at the design wind speed. Thus, the selected ambient Leq sound level is 50.7 dBA. When winds are on-shore to the shoreline receptors, ambient sound levels will be about 10 dBA higher than the ambient level assumed in this analysis, adding conservatism to the results. When winds are off-shore, the wind shadow effect will reduce shoreline sound levels by 20 dBA from those presented in this study. Thus, the coupling of the off-shore ambient sound level with acoustic modeling that assumes on-shore sound propagation produces a very conservative result.

Under the cut-in wind speed condition, the V90 sound power level is 6 dBA less than the maximum sound power level. The minimum ambient sound level for the cut-in wind condition is about 4 dBA less than that for the design wind condition. Thus, in terms of incremental impact, the design wind condition that is analyzed in this study represents the worst case.

8 9

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cape Wind Energy Project Draft EIS, Appendix 5.11-A, 2004. Personal communication, Mr. Stephen Tomasik, NYS DEC, Albany, NY, August 18, 2009.

5.0 5.1

CALCULATED FUTURE SOUND LEVELS Methodology

Future sound levels from the Galloo Island wind turbines were calculated with the Cadna/A acoustic model. Cadna/A is a sophisticated 3-D model for sound propagation and attenuation based on International Standard ISO 961310. Atmospheric absorption, the process by which sound energy is absorbed by the air, was calculated using ANSI S1.26-1995.11 Cadna/A models sound assuming receptors in all directions simultaneously downwind. Absorption of sound assumed standard day conditions, and it is significant at large distances. The model parameters were set as follows: receiver height of 1.2 meters, ground absorption G=0.5 (mixed ground partial reflection) for the land areas, and G=0.0 (reflective surface) for the surface of Lake Ontario. Note that the land on Galloo Island is undeveloped and actually has a soft ground surface, for which G is 1.0.

The model built in an additional level of conservatism over estimating the actual sound power level generated by the project turbines; the maximum sound power level established in the IEC 61400-11 test is 109.4 dBA for a hub height wind speed of 9 m/s or higher.12 A safety margin of 2 dBA was added to this and the resulting maximum sound power level of 111.4 dBA was used in the acoustic modeling for the V90 wind turbine. A total of 84 V90 wind turbines operating simultaneously on Galloo Island (252 MW rated capacity) were modeled with Cadna/A assuming an 80-meter hub height.

Predicted maximum sound levels are conservative because: 1) The model was instructed to ignore foliage sound absorption; 2) The model assumes partial reflection from soft ground surfaces which typically absorb sound; 3) The model assumes Lake Ontario is a perfectly reflective surface; 4) The acoustic model assumes a ground-based temperature inversion, such as those that may occur on calm, clear nights when sound propagation is most favorable but wind turbine operation is least likely; and 5) The turbine maximum sound power level includes a 2-dBA safety margin.

International Standard, ISO 9613-2, Acoustics Attenuation of Sound During Propagation Outdoors, -- Part 2 General Method of Calculation. 11 American National Standards Institute, ANSI S1.26-1995, American National Standard Method for the Calculation of the Absorption of Sound by the Atmosphere, 1995. 12 Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog GmbH, Windtest Report of acoustical emissions of a wind turbine generator system of the type V90-2MW Vestas, May 2005.

10

5.2

Modeling Results at Shoreline Locations

The maximum predicted wind farm sound levels at the five closest shoreline receptors are 14.3 to 32.5 dBA and are compared in Table 2 to the ambient sound levels. The project is consistent with the NYS DEC Guideline because the maximum increase in the ambient Leq sound level is 0.1 dBA at the closest receptors and within the DEC-recommended 6-dBA threshold. In addition, the project will be inaudible at these locations because the maximum sound level is more than 5 dBA below the ambient level and the turbines do not produce a pure tone. Figure 2 presents color contours of the maximum sound levels assuming all locations are downwind of the wind farm and experiencing maximum sound propagation.

TABLE 2 MAXIMUM PROJECT SOUND LEVELS AT THE CLOSEST SHORELINE LOCATIONS IN LYME AND BROWNSVILLE (dBA)

Shoreline Receptor South Shore Road Ext., Lyme Beach Road, Lyme Flanders Road, Lyme Fox Island Road, Fox Island Pillar Point, Brownsville

Ambient Leq Level 50.7 50.7 50.7 50.7 50.7

Maximum Project Sound 32.5 30.0 30.5 28.6 14.3

Combined Sound Level 50.8 50.7 50.7 50.7 50.7

Net Increase 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1

Note: NYS DEC Guideline limits the increase in the ambient level to 6 dBA for residential areas.

10

5.3

Low Frequency Analysis at Shoreline Locations

The acoustic modeling includes the very low frequency 1/3-octave bands of 16 Hz and 20Hz. Under high wind conditions (20 mph and above), research has shown that refraction due to wind gradients causes a transition from standard hemispherical to slower cylindrical wave spreading at a downwind distance of approximately 2 km for infrasound (sound waves with a frequency below 20 Hz) with normal hemispherical wave spreading for all higher frequency bands.13 This refinement was included in the acoustic model.

The potential for low frequency noise impacts was first assessed as follows. Using the sound power spectra, the broadband sound power for both A-weighting and C-weighting scales were calculated as 111.4 dBA and 129.8 dBC, respectively. The (dBC-dBA) difference of 18.4 was then compared to a 20 decibel threshold that is often used as a first check on whether a turbine may produce low-frequency noise. The V90 frequency spectrum does not suggest a low frequency noise problem. The acoustic modeling results also reveal that the wind turbines will not be audible at the nearest off-island receptors.

To further address low frequency concerns, the frequency spectrum of predicted maximum sound levels at the five shoreline receptors are graphed in Figure 3 through 7, along with the full range of ambient sound levels corresponding to the design wind condition and the threshold of human hearing. The ambient sound levels range from Leq 50.7 dBA (minimum) to Leq 66.5 dBA (maximum) when the hub height wind speed is near the design wind speed value of 9 m/s. The figures confirm there is no 1/3-octave band pure tone. The wind turbine spectrum has its highest energy in the range of 31.5 to 50 Hz where there is a plateau in the spectrum that is within or below the range of ambient sound levels and therefore will not be audible. The frequency graphs also reveal that low frequency sound for the wind turbines in the five lowest 1/3-octave bands will be below the threshold of human hearing.

Hawkins, J., Application of Ray Theory to Propagation of Low Frequency Noise from Wind Turbines, NASA Contractor Report 178367, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, 1987. Data from the second Medicine Bow, WY wind turbine tests show downwind sound levels for a 10 Hz signal follow classic ray theory and switch from hemispherical (-6 dB/doubling of distance) to cylindrical (-3 dB/doubling of distance) wave spreading at 2 km.

13

11

To check for infrasound14 impacts, the lowest three 1/3-octave band sound levels predicted from project operation are compared in Table 3 to the human hearing threshold. In the two lowest frequency bands (16 and 20 Hz), the maximum project sound levels will be at least 34 dB below the human hearing threshold. Thus, there will be no perceptible infrasound or very low frequency sound from the Galloo Island wind farm.

TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF PREDICTED VERY LOW FREQUENCY SOUND LEVELS AT THE CLOSEST SHORELINE LOCATIONS IN LYME AND BROWNSVILLE TO HUMAN HEARING THRESHOLDS (dB)

Shoreline Receptor Human Hearing Threshold South Shore Road Ext., Lyme Beach Road, Lyme Flanders Road, Lyme Fox Island Road, Fox Island Pillar Point, Brownsville

16 Hz 1/3Octave Band 92.0 57.6 56.8 57.0 55.4 43.9

20 Hz 1/3Octave Band 84.0 49.4 47.5 47.9 46.1 33.0

25 Hz 1/3Octave Band 76.0 48.9 47.0 47.4 45.6 32.5

14

Infrasound is low frequency sound at or below 20 Hertz (Hz).

12

5.4

Modeling Results for Worker Housing

The criterion for this employee effects portion of the study was the OSHA hearing conservation action level of 85 dBA. This is a conservative threshold since hearing protection for workers is not required except when sound levels exceed 90 dBA. The predicted maximum sound level at the worker housing area on Galloo Island is 58.1 dBA and safely in compliance with the OSHA action level of 85 dBA. An outdoor sound level of 58 dBA is typical for an urban area and will not interfere with outdoor activities at the worker residential buildings. A wind turbine outdoor sound level of 58 dBA is less than the 65 dBA level that is typical for a conversation between two people standing a few feet apart (see Table 1).

13

Key
= 30 dBA = 35 dBA = 40 dBA

Fox Island Road

= 45 dBA = 50 dBA = 55 dBA

Flanders Road Beach Road

= 60 dBA

Pillar Point South Shore Road Extension

Worker Housing

Figure 2 Maximum Sound Levels (dBA) at the Shoreline Galloo Island Wind Farm

FIGURE 3. MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SOUND LEVEL FROM PROJECT OPERATION AT SOUTH SHORE ROAD EXT., LYME FOR THE DESIGN WIND SPEED
100

90

Highest Baseline Level Leq Lowest Baseline Level Leq

80 Leq Sound Pressure Level (dB re 20 PA)

Threshold of Human Hearing

70

Maximum Continuous Wind Park Sound

66.5

60
50.7

50

40
32.5

30

20

10

0
16 20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1K 1.25K 1.6K 2K 2.5K 3.15K 4K 5K 6.3K 8K 10K 12.5K 16K A-wtd

1/3 Octave Band Frequency (Hz)

FIGURE 4. MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SOUND LEVEL FROM PROJECT OPERATION AT BEACH ROAD, LYME FOR THE DESIGN WIND SPEED
100

90

Highest Baseline Level Leq Lowest Baseline Level Leq

80 Leq Sound Pressure Level (dB re 20 PA)

Threshold of Human Hearing

70

Maximum Continuous Wind Park Sound

66.5

60
50.7

50

40

30

30.0

20

10

0
16 20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1K 1.25K 1.6K 2K 2.5K 3.15K 4K 5K 6.3K 8K 10K 12.5K 16K A-wtd

1/3 Octave Band Frequency (Hz)

FIGURE 5. MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SOUND LEVEL FROM PROJECT OPERATION AT FLANDERS ROAD, LYME FOR THE DESIGN WIND SPEED
100

90

Highest Baseline Level Leq Lowest Baseline Level Leq

80 Leq Sound Pressure Level (dB re 20 PA)

Threshold of Human Hearing

70

Maximum Continuous Wind Park Sound

66.5

60
50.7

50

40
30.5

30

20

10

0
16 20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1K 1.25K 1.6K 2K 2.5K 3.15K 4K 5K 6.3K 8K 10K 12.5K 16K A-wtd

1/3 Octave Band Frequency (Hz)

FIGURE 6. MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SOUND LEVEL FROM PROJECT OPERATION AT FOX ISLAND ROAD, FOX ISLAND FOR THE DESIGN WIND SPEED
100

90

Highest Baseline Level Leq Lowest Baseline Level Leq

80 Leq Sound Pressure Level (dB re 20 PA)

Threshold of Human Hearing

70

Maximum Continuous Wind Park Sound

66.5

60
50.7

50

40

30

28.6

20

10

0
16 20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1K 1.25K 1.6K 2K 2.5K 3.15K 4K 5K 6.3K 8K 10K 12.5K 16K A-wtd

1/3 Octave Band Frequency (Hz)

FIGURE 7. MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SOUND LEVEL FROM PROJECT OPERATION AT PILLAR POINT, BROWNSVILLE FOR THE DESIGN WIND SPEED
100

90

Highest Baseline Level Leq Lowest Baseline Level Leq

80 Leq Sound Pressure Level (dB re 20 PA)

Threshold of Human Hearing

70

Maximum Continuous Wind Park Sound

66.5

60
50.7

50

40

30

20
14.3

10

0
16 20 25 31.5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1K 1.25K 1.6K 2K 2.5K 3.15K 4K 5K 6.3K 8K 10K 12.5K 16K A-wtd

1/3 Octave Band Frequency (Hz)

ACOUSTIC STUDY OF THE GALLOO ISLAND WIND TURBINES, HOUNSFIELD, NEW YORK SOUND IMPACTS ON STONY ISLAND, NY

October 2009

ACOUSTIC STUDY OF THE GALLOO ISLAND WIND TURBINES, HOUNSFIELD, NEW YORK SOUND IMPACTS ON STONY ISLAND, NY

Prepared for: American Consulting Professionals of New York, PLLC 70 Niagara Street, Suite 410 Buffalo, NY 14202 and Watertown Development of NY LLC 950-A Union Road, Suite 20 West Seneca, NY 14224-3454

Prepared by: Tech Environmental, Inc. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 295 Waltham, MA 02451

October 8, 2009

TableofContents

1.0 2.0 3.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 1 COMMON MEASURES OF COMMUNITY SOUND ................................................... 2 NOISE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA ......................................................................... 4 3.1 State Noise Guidelines ............................................................................................ 4 3.2 Audibility and Pure Tones....................................................................................... 6

4.0 5.0

AMBIENT SOUND LEVEL MEASUREMENTS .......................................................... 7 CALCULATED FUTURE SOUND LEVELS ................................................................. 8 5.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 8 5.2 Modeling Results..................................................................................................... 9 5.3 Low Frequency Analysis ....................................................................................... 10

ii

1.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Watertown Development of NY, LLC proposes to locate 84 Vestas V90 3.0 MW wind turbines on Galloo Island in eastern Lake Ontario more than 7 miles from the mainland. Tech Environmental performed a study of the sound effects from the wind farm on the shoreline of Stony Island, which lies 3.5 miles to the east of Galloo Island. Ambient sound levels from a similar offshore wind project, the Cape Wind Project, were used to estimate the Leq ambient sound levels at the Stony Island shoreline receptor. These data were approved by the NYS DEC for use on this project. To ensure a conservative analysis, only the quieter off-shore wind measurements from the Cape Wind project for an isolated location with no boat or motor vehicle noise (Point Gammon, Yarmouth) were utilized.

Future sound levels from the Galloo Island wind turbines were calculated with the Cadna/A acoustic model. Cadna/A is a sophisticated 3-D model for sound propagation and attenuation based on International Standard ISO 9613. Predicted maximum sound levels are conservative because: 1) The model was instructed to ignore foliage sound absorption; 2) The model assumes partial reflection from soft ground surfaces which typically absorb sound; 3) The model assumes Lake Ontario is a perfectly reflective surface and ignores the effects of waves in scattering sound waves; 4) The acoustic model assumes a ground-based temperature inversion, such as those that may occur on calm, clear nights when sound propagation is most favorable but wind turbine operation is least likely; and 5) The turbine maximum sound power level includes a 2-dBA safety margin.

The studys conclusions are as follows: The maximum predicted wind farm sound level at Stony Island is only 40.6 A-weighted decibels (dBA) and far below the minimum ambient sound level of 50.7 dBA associated with the turbine design wind condition (9 m/s wind speed at hub height). The maximum increase in the ambient sound level at Stony Island is only 0.4 dBA and well within the NYS DEC-recommended 6-dBA threshold. Analysis of the broadband and octave band sound levels reveals that the wind farm will not be audible at Stony Island, and there will be no perceptible infrasound or very low frequency sound from the Galloo Island wind farm. The predicted maximum sound level at the worker housing area on Galloo Island is 58.1 dBA and safely in compliance with the OSHA action level of 85 dBA. 1

2.0

COMMON MEASURES OF COMMUNITY SOUND

All sounds originate with a source a human voice, vehicles on a roadway, or an airplane overhead. The sound energy moves from the source to a persons ears as sound waves, which are minute variations in air pressure. The loudness of a sound depends on the sound pressure level, defined as the ratio of two pressures: the measured sound pressure from the source divided by a reference pressure (the quietest sound we can hear). The unit of sound pressure is the decibel (dB). The decibel scale is logarithmic to accommodate the wide range of sound intensities to which the human ear is subjected. On this scale, the quietest sound we can hear is 0 dB, while the loudest is 120 dB. Most sounds we hear in our daily lives have sound pressure levels in the range of 30 dB to 100 dB.

A property of the decibel scale is that the sound pressure levels of two separate sounds are added the result is not simply the numerical sum. For example, if a sound of 70 dB is added to another sound of 70 dB, the total is only a 3-decibel increase (or 73 dB), not 140 dB. In terms of the human perception of sound, a halving or doubling of loudness requires changes in the sound pressure level of about 10 dB; for broadband sounds, 3 dB is the minimum perceptible change.

Sound exposure in a community is commonly expressed in terms of the A-weighted sound level (dBA); A-weighting approximates the frequency response of the human ear. Levels of many sounds change from moment to moment. Some are sharp impulses lasting 1 second or less, while others rise and fall over much longer periods of time. There are various measures of sound pressure designed for different purposes. The Leq, or equivalent sound level, is the steady-state sound level over a period of time that has the same acoustic energy as the fluctuating sounds that actually occurred during that same period. It is commonly referred to as the average broadband sound level. This is the metric which New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) uses to establish ambient sound levels. The Lmax, or maximum sound level, represents the one second peak level experienced during a given time period. Sound level measurements typically include an analysis of the sound spectrum into its various frequency components to determine tonal characteristics. The unit of frequency is Hertz (Hz), measuring the cycles per second of the sound pressure waves, and typically the frequency analysis examines ten octave bands from 32 to 16,000 Hz. Typical sound levels associated with various activities and environments are present in Table 1.

TABLE 1 COMMON INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SOUND LEVELS

Outdoor Sound Levels

Sound Pressure (Pa) 6,324,555

Sound Level (dBA) 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55

Indoor Sound Levels Rock Band at 5 m Inside New York Subway Train Food Blender at 1 m Garbage Disposal at 1 m Shouting at 1 m Vacuum Cleaner at 3 m Normal Speech at 1 m Quiet Conversation at 1 m

Jet Over-Flight at 300 m 2,000,000 Gas Lawn Mower at 1 m 632,456 Diesel Truck at 15 m Noisy Urban Area Daytime Gas Lawn Mower at 30 m Suburban Commercial Area 20,000 Quiet Urban Area Daytime 6,325 Quiet Urban Area Nighttime 2,000 Quiet Suburb Nighttime 632 Quiet Rural Area Nighttime Rustling Leaves 200 63 Reference Pressure Level 20 200,000 63,246

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Human Breathing Threshold of Hearing Quiet Bedroom at Night Empty Concert Hall Average Whisper Broadcast and Recording Studios Empty Theater or Library

Note: Micro-Pascals (Pa) describe sound pressure levels (force/area). A-weighted decibels (dBA) describe sound pressure on a logarithmic scale with respect to 20 Pa (reference pressure level).

3.0

NOISE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA

3.1

State Noise Guidelines

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) uses a noise guideline document1 to assess noise impacts under the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process. The Guideline states The Leq value provides an indication of the effects of sound on people. It is also useful in establishing the ambient sound level at a potential noise source Appropriate receptor locations may be either at the property line of the parcel upon which the facility is located or at the location of use or inhabitance on adjacent property.2 The Guideline goes on to say In non-industrial settings the [sound pressure level] SPL should probably not exceed ambient noise by more than 6 dBA at the receptor, but also notes There may be occasions where an increase in SPLs of greater than 6 dBA might be acceptable. The addition of any noise source, in a non-industrial setting, should not raise the ambient noise level above a maximum of 65 dBA.3 For this project, the NYS DEC Leq guideline was applied at the closest off-island shoreline receptor on Stony Island, shown in Figure 1.

NYS DEC, Assessing and Mitigating Noise Impacts, Program Policy Guideline DEP-00-1, February 2001. DEC staff note that this document is presently being revised. 2 Ibid, pp. 12-13. 3 Ibid, p. 14.

GALLOO ISLAND

N Stony Island

Figure 1 Sound Modeling Location Galloo Island Wind Farm

3.2

Audibility and Pure Tones

According to ANSI Standards, an audible pure tone occurs when the 1/3-octave band in a sound power spectrum is higher than the numerical mean of the two adjacent bands by 5 to 15 dB, with the threshold of 5 dB corresponding to high frequencies (> 500 Hz) and the 15-dB threshold corresponding to low frequencies (< 125 Hz).4 Application of the ANSI definition to the sound power spectrum for the Vestas V90 wind turbines reveals there are no audible pure tones produced by the wind turbines.

A 3-dBA increase in sound is the threshold of perceptibility and occurs when a new sound source is exactly equal to the existing average (Leq) sound level. Thus, when a new sound source produces a sound pressure level that is below the existing sound level, the new sound source will not be audible unless it produces a pure tone. Since a new sound source is likely to have a different spectrum from the background noise, the threshold for audibility is more difficult to quantify. A study done for the National Park Service5 established that aircraft flying over the Grand Canyon, which has very low background sound levels, first became audible when the aircraft sound was 8 dBA below the average background level (Leq), and the audibility occurred at that low of a level because of the tonal character of the aircraft noise. The Vestas wind turbines do not have the tonal characteristics of an aircraft, thus the audibility threshold for the wind turbine sound is somewhere between 0 and 8 dBA below the existing Leq sound level. For this study, an audibility threshold of 5 dBA below the Existing Leq level was assumed.

American National Standards Institute, ANSI S12.0-1996/Part 4, Noise Assessment and Prediction of Long-Term Community Response, 1996, p. 15. 5 National Park Service, Review of Scientific Basis for Change in Noise Impact Assessment Method Used at Grand Canyon National Park, January 2000.

4.0

AMBIENT SOUND LEVEL MEASUREMENTS

Ambient sound levels from a similar offshore wind project, the Cape Wind Project,6 were used to estimate the Leq ambient sound levels at the Stony Island shoreline receptor. These data were approved by the NYS DEC for use on this project for the EIS review.7 To ensure a conservative analysis, only the quieter off-shore wind measurements from the Cape Wind project for an isolated location with no boat or motor vehicle noise (Point Gammon, Yarmouth) were utilized. A two-week monitoring program during the months of November and December revealed a minimum Leq sound level of 50.7 dBA during off-shore winds that were at the turbine design wind speed, a minimum Leq sound level of 60.8 dBA during on-shore winds at the design wind speed, and a minimum Leq sound level of 46.5 dBA during light winds corresponding to the turbine cut-in wind speed. This analysis was done for the maximum turbine sound power level, which first occurs at the design wind speed. Thus, the selected ambient Leq sound level is 50.7 dBA. When winds are on-shore to the shoreline receptors, ambient sound levels will be about 10 dBA higher than the ambient level assumed in this analysis, adding conservatism to the results. When winds are off-shore, the wind shadow effect will reduce shoreline sound levels by 20 dBA from those presented in this study. Thus, the coupling of the off-shore ambient sound level with acoustic modeling that assumes on-shore sound propagation produces a very conservative result.

Under the cut-in wind speed condition, the V90 sound power level is 6 dBA less than the maximum sound power level. The minimum ambient sound level for the cut-in wind condition is about 4 dBA less than that for the design wind condition. Thus, in terms of incremental impact, the design wind condition that is analyzed in this study represents the worst case.

6 7

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cape Wind Energy Project Draft EIS, Appendix 5.11-A, 2004. Personal communication, Mr. Stephen Tomasik, NYS DEC, Albany, NY, August 18, 2009.

5.0 5.1

CALCULATED FUTURE SOUND LEVELS Methodology

Future sound levels from the Galloo Island wind turbines were calculated with the Cadna/A acoustic model. Cadna/A is a sophisticated 3-D model for sound propagation and attenuation based on International Standard ISO 96138. Atmospheric absorption, the process by which sound energy is absorbed by the air, was calculated using ANSI S1.26-1995.9 Cadna/A models sound assuming receptors in all directions simultaneously downwind. Absorption of sound assumed standard day conditions, and it is significant at large distances. The model parameters were set as follows: receiver height of 1.2 meters, ground absorption G=0.5 (mixed ground partial reflection) for the land areas, and G=0.0 (reflective surface) for the surface of Lake Ontario. Note that the land on Galloo Island is undeveloped and actually has a soft ground surface, for which G is 1.0.

The model built in an additional level of conservatism over estimating the actual sound power level generated by the project turbines; the maximum sound power level established in the IEC 61400-11 test is 109.4 dBA for a hub height wind speed of 9 m/s or higher.10 A safety margin of 2 dBA was added to this and the resulting maximum sound power level of 111.4 dBA was used in the acoustic modeling for the V90 wind turbine. A total of 84 V90 wind turbines operating simultaneously on Galloo Island (252 MW rated capacity) were modeled with Cadna/A assuming an 80-meter hub height.

Predicted maximum sound levels are conservative because: 1) The model was instructed to ignore foliage sound absorption; 2) The model assumes partial reflection from soft ground surfaces which typically absorb sound; 3) The model assumes Lake Ontario is a perfectly reflective surface; 4) The acoustic model assumes a ground-based temperature inversion, such as those that may occur on calm, clear nights when sound propagation is most favorable but wind turbine operation is least likely; and 5) The turbine maximum sound power level includes a 2-dBA safety margin.

International Standard, ISO 9613-2, Acoustics Attenuation of Sound During Propagation Outdoors, -- Part 2 General Method of Calculation. 9 American National Standards Institute, ANSI S1.26-1995, American National Standard Method for the Calculation of the Absorption of Sound by the Atmosphere, 1995. 10 Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog GmbH, Windtest Report of acoustical emissions of a wind turbine generator system of the type V90-2MW Vestas, May 2005.

5.2

Modeling Results

The maximum predicted wind farm sound level at the Stony Island shoreline receptor is 40.6 dBA and is compared in Table 2 to the ambient sound level. The project is consistent with the NYS DEC Guideline because the maximum increase in the ambient Leq sound level is 0.4 dBA at the closest receptor and within the DEC-recommended 6-dBA threshold. In addition, the project will be inaudible at this location because the maximum sound level is more than 5 dBA below the ambient level and the turbines do not produce a pure tone. Figure 2 presents color contours of the maximum sound levels assuming all locations are downwind of the wind farm and experiencing maximum sound propagation.

TABLE 2 MAXIMUM PROJECT SOUND LEVEL AT THE CLOSEST STONY ISLAND SHORELINE LOCATION (dBA)

Shoreline Receptor
Stony Island southwest shoreline

Ambient Leq Level

50.7

Maximum Combined Net Project Sound Increase Sound Level

40.6 51.1 0.4

Note: NYS DEC Guideline limits the increase in the ambient level to 6 dBA for residential areas.

5.3

Low Frequency Analysis

The acoustic modeling includes the very low frequency 1/3-octave bands of 16 Hz and 20Hz. Under high wind conditions (20 mph and above), research has shown that refraction due to wind gradients causes a transition from standard hemispherical to slower cylindrical wave spreading at a downwind distance of approximately 2 km for infrasound (sound waves with a frequency below 20 Hz) with normal hemispherical wave spreading for all higher frequency bands.11 This refinement was included in the acoustic model.

The potential for low frequency noise impacts was first assessed as follows. Using the sound power spectra, the broadband sound power for both A-weighting and C-weighting scales were calculated as 111.4 dBA and 129.8 dBC, respectively. The (dBC-dBA) difference of 18.4 was then compared to a 20 decibel threshold that is often used as a first check on whether a turbine may produce low-frequency noise. The V90 frequency spectrum does not suggest a low frequency noise problem. The acoustic modeling results also reveal that the wind turbines will not be audible at the nearest off-island receptors. To check for infrasound12 impacts, the lowest three 1/3-octave band sound levels predicted from project operation are compared in Table 3 to the human hearing threshold. In the two lowest frequency bands (16 and 20 Hz), the maximum project sound levels will be at least 29 dB below the human hearing threshold. Thus, there will be no perceptible infrasound or very low frequency sound from the Galloo Island wind farm.

Hawkins, J., Application of Ray Theory to Propagation of Low Frequency Noise from Wind Turbines, NASA Contractor Report 178367, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, 1987. Data from the second Medicine Bow, WY wind turbine tests show downwind sound levels for a 10 Hz signal follow classic ray theory and switch from hemispherical (-6 dB/doubling of distance) to cylindrical (-3 dB/doubling of distance) wave spreading at 2 km. 12 Infrasound is low frequency sound at or below 20 Hertz (Hz).

11

10

TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF PREDICTED VERY LOW FREQUENCY SOUND LEVELS AT THE CLOSEST STONY ISLAND SHORELINE LOCATION (dB)

Shoreline Receptor
Human Hearing Threshold Stony Island southwest shoreline

16 Hz 1/3Octave Band
92.0 60.0

20 Hz 1/3Octave Band
84.0 55.0

25 Hz 1/3Octave Band
76.0 54.5

11

Key
= 30 dBA = 35 dBA = 40 dBA = 45 dBA = 50 dBA = 55 dBA = 60 dBA

Figure 2 Maximum Sound Levels (dBA) at Stony Island Galloo Island Wind Farm