July 30, 2009
Mr. Stephen Tomasik, Project Manager
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway, 4th Floor
Albany, New York 12233-1750
Re: Proposed Galloo Island Wind Turbine Project - Environmental Impact
Dear Mr. Tomasik:
We spoke recently at the hearing in Sackets Harbor about my letter to you dated May 8, 2009. In that letter I described a situation related to me by a town resident, Don Metzger, who is a ship pilot on the Seaway of some anecdotal evidence of wind turbine noise traveling over open water. It seems there is a field of turbines installed in the water off the Gaspe Peninsula, in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Ship Captains passing these turbines have commented to Mr. Metzger that they are surprised how noisy the turbines are as they pass them at a distance of 2-3 miles in the shipping channel.
I am still working with Mr. Metzger to develop some more definitive information about the turbine noise in the Gaspe, however, recently a similar situation much closer to home has come to my attention. Mr. Art Pundt, who has been active in assessing the impact of proposed turbine installations in nearby Cape Vincent recently sent me an email detailing his experience with noise being transmitted from the turbines now operating on Wolfe Island, Ontario, just across the river from Cape Vincent, New York. The text of Mr. Pundt’s message is:
“Since the Wolfe Island Wind Farm became operational in early July I have heard low rumbling on some nights from my side yard or deck at my cottage. I have heard it numerous times. I have heard the trains in Canada and traffic on the 401 in Canada as well as the city hum of Kingston on quiet nights. This was different and coming directly from the red lights of the WI turbines. I also know the low rumble of ships. There were no ships around.
I wasn't sure, so last night with a fairly strong south wind we drove down to the village of Cape Vincent. We stopped at the public boat launch in the village. I opened up the drivers side window with that side of the truck out of the wind...and sure enough there was the answer. The turbines on WI are can easily be heard. Sounds like a jet flying over at altitude and is very distinct. Or it sounds like the sound emanated from outside a large busy city. If you are in a calm spot protected from the wind the sound is really clear.
Now keep in mind the the closest turbine to me is about 7.5 miles and the center of the WI project is around 9-10 miles from my cottage. At the public dock in CV the nearest turbines is about 3 miles. This was all measured on Google Earth.
Now keep in mind the distances I mentioned above. The town (Cape Vincent) is only about 4 to 5 miles wide, and something like 12 miles long (approx) And that is 148 (proposed) turbines packed into that area. WI (Wolfe Island) is 86. You won't be able to hide anywhere from the sound based on what I heard coming from WI. I am surprised there have not been any mention of this or complaints coming from the village. Also keep in mind that the wind was blowing away from me last night. So what is the bottom line? If you think a wind law will protect you even with large sound set backs... based on what I have heard from WI and the distance at which you can hear these turbines...you better think again!!!! Turbines do not belong in this
community period!
Go down to the village some night with a strong south wind and listen for yourself, then do the math."
Art Pundt
Most of us have had the experience of sound, even a person’s voice, carrying long distances over water on quiet summer evenings. The noise described by Mr. Pundt is being transmitted partly over water and partly over land and can be heard clearly 7.5 miles away. I, therefore, believe it will be necessary as I previously stated, as a part of the environmental impact study of the Galloo Project, to do studies of the noise that will be transmitted by the turbines on Galloo to the nearby points on the mainland, including Point Peninsula (Lyme) and Pillar Point (Brownsville). Transmission to these points will be entirely across the water in the direction of the prevailing winds. The nearest points of land are only about five miles from Galloo. Such noise studies should consider the condition of a stable atmosphere where the winds at ground level are still, but the turbines are operating in the steady winds at higher elevations. The sound levels should be predicted for the shoreline of the Lake on both the A and C decibel scales. Unless predicted sound levels fall within 5 dBA of the ambient nighttime levels on the lakeshore, the sound levels generated by the Galloo project may be unacceptable to the residents of those areas.
Sincerely,
Albert H. Bowers III
cc: Lyme Town Board
Watertown Daily Times, Nancy Madsen
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