Bent Tree Wind Farm Sound Levels
July 14th, 2011
From Albert Lea Tribune, Fair Use, capturing one of those classic “oh shit…” moments in trucking… (see article below).
In another “oh shit” moment, the Bent Tree Wind Farm noise testing report is out, was released about a month ago, and I’m finally getting around to publishing it.
Bent Tree – Survey of Operational Sound Levels
Take a look at p. 19 and 20 for L10 and L50 levels, and look how frequently the levels are higher state noise limits! See Minn. Rule 7030.0040:
Here’s a summary chart from the Bent Tree noise report, p. 13:
And what they’re trying to do is to remove background sound so that the numbers won’t be above what is allowed by the state’s rules. Graphically, here’s what that comparison, with and without background noise, looks like, p. 43:
The article that was the source of the photo at the top is from the Albert Lea Tribune, and it’s old news, from Sept. 2010, but for those inquiring minds that want to know:
Wind turbine tower falls off truck
Published 9:43am Thursday, September 16, 2010
MANCHESTER — A section of a Vestas wind turbine tower slipped off the semi that was hauling it early Thursday morning.
The truck was carrying the large tower section on gravel 695th Avenue north of Freeborn County Road 29 near West Freeborn Lutheran Church. It fell off near a turn in the road.
The gravel roads in southern Minnesota were saturated after heavy rains Wednesday night. Albert Lea received more than an inch on Wednesday.
Fortunately for the construction workers, the ditch along 695th Avenue was shallow compared to most. It is a minimal traffic road.
Trucks have been delivering these large pieces to each site in the Bent Tree Wind Farm since July.
The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident. The call went out around 7 a.m. Sheriff Mark Harig said as far as he knew there were no injuries or damages reported.
“It’s just blocking the road,” Harig said.
He said as of 8 a.m. a deputy was still near the site performing traffic control.
“They’ll have to get a crane to pick it up and move it where it needs to go,” Harig said.
Calls to Bent Tree Wind Farm officials were not immediately returned before this story went to press Thursday morning.
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