Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
several studies have documented that traffic noise can have significant negative
impacts on bird behavior, communication, and ultimately on avian health and sur-
vival (Barber et al, 2010; Lengagne, 2008; Lohr et al., 2003). Whether these effects
are attributable to infrasound effects or to a combination of other noise factors is not
yet fully understood. The fact is that little is known about the combination effect
of traffic noise and wind turbine noise. However, given that wind-generated noise,
including blade turbine noise, produces a fairly persistent, low-frequency sound simi-
lar to that generated by traffic noise (Dooling, 2002; Lohr et al., 2003), it is plausible
that wildlife effects from these two sounds could be similar. It is also plausible that
wildlife effects from these two sounds combined could be detrimental to wildlife of
all kinds. Based on experience, this topic supports this view.
Some may feel that the combination of road noise and wind turbine noise causing
wildlife effects is plainly a stretch. Although the author has studied, observed, mea-
sured, and monitored this phenomenon, the truth is little is known about the effects
of noise related to road noise and wind turbines combined; moreover, at present, little
to nothing on the subject is reported in the peer-reviewed literature.
Let's get back to why some people feel the statement that a combination of road
noise and wind turbine noise has a wildlife effect is plainly a stretch. This point of
view seems to be prevalent for those who do not travel the east-west U.S. interstates
from East Coast areas to the Southwest or Pacific Northwest, or the north-south
route through Indiana on I-65 and others. On many roads it is not uncommon to drive
in any direction and see hundreds of tall wind turbines off in the distance far ahead
and to the right and left of the highway. Although some of these wind turbines are
very close to the shoulder of the roads, many wind turbine farms can only be seen off
in the vast, far distance as one travels the highways. It is this perception of distance
on some outlying, remote hillside or ridge in some unoccupied wilderness or high
plains area that gives the unknowing viewer the misconception about noise from
road traffic and wind turbines not having a combined effect. After all, if the wind
turbines are off in some remote corner of nowhere, how can road noise add to normal
wind turbine noise? Very easily, actually. Remember, service roads built to perform
maintenance and preventive maintenance, such as inspection of components, servic-
ing items on a regular basis (e.g., retorquing bolts), and replacing consumable items
at or before a specified age (e.g., replacing filters, changing the oil in the gearbox),
are utilized by light and heavy trucks and other vehicles on a routine basis, no mat-
ter the location. The larger the wind farm, the greater the access—the more traffic,
the more noise. All access vehicles, including helicopters used to transport parts and
personnel, produce noise, in some cases a lot of noise.
The counter argument, of course, is that wind turbines run on their own and
require little or no operations and maintenance (O&M). If this were true (and it is
not), then there would be very little traffic on the associated service roads and thus
little noise added to wind turbine noise. Wind turbines, though, do not operate by
themselves; they are normally operated remotely from a plant operations room by a
human operator, but they can also be operated within the turbine nacelle. Their oper-
ation is also monitored by a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
communication system designed to alert appropriate service personnel through com-
puter warnings and automated telephone calls.
