20th June, 2021
Via Wind Farm Living
The new EPA controlled wind facility noise compliance management is all bark but no bite.
Unlike the Building Control Commission, which prosecutes bad building work and/or bad builders, there is no wind industry regulatory body, to weed out bad acousticians.
The EPA has no authority to access the wind facility noise data to identify bad acoustical work and/or bad acousticians.
EPA relies on written and diagrammatic interpretations drawn up by the wind companies and EPA auditors.
Because the EPA does not use primary data as evidence, it cannot categorically declare that a wind facility is compliant.
This exposes the wind industry participants to litigation by individuals with the primary data to use as evidence to prove wind turbine noise pollution.
Wind Turbine Noise Pollution Complaints.
The EPA outlines the following procedure for noise complaints:
“ You can report wind energy facility noise to the wind energy facility operator, your local council or the National Windfarm Commissioner. Before making a complaint to the Commissioner, you should try to resolve the matter with the wind energy facility operator. “
https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/environmental-information/noise/wind-energy-facility-noise
Here is an example of an open letter to the National Wind Farm Commissioner, that is yet to be answered.
https://defrock.org/2018/11/18/open-letter-nwfc/
The current law also requires Hosts (person with legal interest in the land) to act on noise complaints. (See Ref 1: Vic GED Part 2 report attached). See Vic GED: Part 2
Reporting Noise Pollution.
If a wind company is not willing to hand over the raw data, then it could be said that they are covering up bad acoustical work, and noise polluting wind turbines.
Independently collected raw data submitted as evidence for wind turbine noise pollution, will leave the authorities in a quandary, either believe the written reviews of the wind company or believe the raw data evidence of the complainant.
The EPA and the Australian Wind Farm Commissioner deem noise pollution from wind turbines to be a measurement of noise above a 40d(LA90) outside, and a 35dB(LA90) inside the residence. (Note: These dB(LA) levels are based on noise levels one would expect to endure from road traffic noise if one lived beside a busy road in towns and cities, not from wind turbines in quiet rural areas).
A noise pollution complaint can be made against all entities with a legal interest in the land, this includes both the wind farm company and land owner.
Neighbours know the time of the year, and particular atmospheric conditions (wind speed, direction, and time of day/night) that create the most noise pollution.
Wind Companies will mechanically slow down the blades during noise compliance testing periods to produce lower readings. However, because neither the EPA officers nor the EPA auditors have access to any noise data, then having personal dB(LA) data levels, all year round (particularly during the known pollution times) provides a strong case for complaints of noise pollution.
Collecting the dB(LA90) Data.
Personal Loggers
The Wind Farm Living Community has commenced training in dB(LA90) data collecting and analysing from personal loggers, with more training days/nights planned in the future. (Ref 2: How to collect your own dB(LA90) data). See; https://defrock.org/2021/06/20/collect-la90-on-a-noise-logger/
iWatch and AEMO information.
Many people are now recording their sleeping data via their iWatches and correlating this to the Aneroid Energy web site’s wind farm energy output. https://anero.id/energy/wind-energy/2021/june/05. See Ref 3: Attached – Cooper’s Hypothesis on Sleep Disturbance.
Professional Training
There is an opportunity for professional logger training to be undertaken via Acoustar-Noise Measurement Services.
(Reg Training Organisation ID41013, http://www.noisemeasurement.com.au )
See also ref 2 https://defrock.org/2021/06/20/sleep-disturbance-caused-by-wind-turbines-cooper/
DeFrock 