Thursday, July 28, 2011

Clayton’s wind law not strict enough, Jefferson County Planning Board says

Taking a position championed by a prominent wind farm development critic, the Jefferson County Planning Board urged the town of Clayton to include stricter regulations on sound levels in the town’s proposed amendment for wind development.

In the current law, sound cannot exceed 50 decibels at non-participating residences and public buildings, which the proposed amendment does not change. An amendment forwarded in 2010 that failed to pass the Town Council capped sound at 5 decibels above ambient noise in either the audible or inaudible range at non-participating residents’ property lines, a strict relative standard that mirrors state Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines for projects in general.

“They should follow the guidelines used by the state right now,” board member Clifford J. Schneider said. “The state of New York and DEC have guidelines for that and most communities should be following those guidelines.”

Other members agreed, and though the board voted to say the amendment is of local concern, the board will send comments to the town to beef up the sound regulations and clarify other areas.

Read the entire article

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