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Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board sets decibel limit for amount of noise turbines can produce

Posted 5/18/17

By MATT LINDSEY HOPKINTON – The Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board has decided on setting a 24-hour sound decibel limit for the noise the wind towers can produce. “We went with what suggestion from …

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Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board sets decibel limit for amount of noise turbines can produce

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

HOPKINTON – The Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board has decided on setting a 24-hour sound decibel limit for the noise the wind towers can produce.

“We went with what suggestion from the acoustic noise expert,” said Jody Wenzel, vice chairman of the Hopkinton Wind Advisory Board.

Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, is heading the North Ridge Wind Farm, which calls for about 40 wind towers to be constructed on land in Hopkinton and Parishville.

The board settled on .40 decibels for day and night.

There had been talks, and some suggestions in the community, to enact separate sound decibel limits from 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.

“The general feeling of the board was to set a limit that was simple,” he said.

Wenzel said the decision was also made based off of what other wind farms had enacted for laws.

The law allows for a .03 plus or minus consideration. So technically, the sound decibels could be .37 to .43

The 24-hour decibel limits for the wind towers is different than what the Town of Parishville is considering. Parishville opted for two 12-hour periods ranging from .25 to .45 decibels.

A public comment session will be scheduled for next week.

Anyone wishing to review the law can view it on the town’s website. Wenzel said is should be posted in the coming days.

Following a vote by the wind advisory board, the law will be passed along to the St. Lawrence County Planning Board for possible recommendations, and then voted on by the Hopkinton Town Board.