Contrary to what some may believe, the Cochrane Eagle has never advocated against Cochrane High School’s (CHS) wind turbine – we have simply asked questions, which is a newspaper’s job.
When something like a wind turbine, a $45M aquatic/curling centre or a transit system is proposed, everybody’s opinions deserve to be heard.
CHS’s Sustainable Development Committee’s desire to erect an Evance R9000 wind turbine – one that would see a 5.5 metre rotor mounted on a 60-foot (18-metre) tower and be a minimum of 140 metres from the nearest residential property – is a project that has proponents applauding the school’s environmental mindfulness and opponents questioning the appropriateness of having a turbine next to a tri-school area that is located in a residential neighbourhood.
Several concerns have been voiced since CHS announced its intentions to put the turbine up in 2011, many of which the school has attempted to address, including noise, safety, distance to residential homes and potential visual impacts on the landscape.
CHS made a presentation to Cochrane council Dec. 8 speaking specifically to these concerns, raising several points:
- the scope and scale of the turbine project has been blown out of proportion;
- noise would not be an issue given the distance the turbine would be from homes and the fact that it emits around 55 decibels of sound (according to Rocky View Schools CHS website);
- there would be no significant impact on wildlife;
- there would be no shadow flicker from the turbine blades due to where it would be erected and the height it would be mounted;
- it would blend into the natural surroundings of the landscape and not be visually dominant;
- and that it would be placed in a suitable location, on public service land with three schools, parking lots and an arena.
These all appear to be excellent points that could only entice a person to edge toward supporting the wind turbine project.
Those opposed to the project, however, will likely not so easily be put at ease.
The fact that the turbine would emit 55 decibels of noise (which as far as sound output is similar to somewhere between a normal conversation in a home and conversation in a public restaurant) will be worrisome to some who would question whether it would have a negative effect on nearby residents.
There are some who would surely say, ‘what’s the big deal with such a low level of noise?’, but keep in mind, according to a research article titled ‘Noise exposure and public health’, 40 per cent of office workers did say that 55 decibels of noise was ‘extremely irritating’ and can pose a cognitive health risk.
Considering the fact that the turbine is to be 140 metres from the nearest home does lessen this noise level, but one must also take into consideration that during nighttime hours when there is no daytime community noise (vehicles, pedestrians, common daytime activities, etc) to drown out the sound of a turbine, will residents looking for a peaceful sleep be bothered by the turbine? It’s pretty much impossible to give a certain answer without putting it to the test.
This could be viewed as being extremely picky, but the Town of Cochrane bylaw does state that there will be no ‘continuous sound’ in a residential area during night hours that exceeds 50 decibels.
Going by what CHS’s ‘Misconceptions vs. facts’ document states: “The low frequency noise produced by the Evance R9000 is 55 dB at wind speeds of 7m/s,” (which is around 25 km/hr), it would be too loud for the town’s current noise bylaw. And during the Dec. 8 council meeting, the Renewable Energy Framework proposed a 35-decibel limit on wind turbines in Cochrane.
And what about when wind speeds are greater than 25 km/hr, which does happen from time to time in Cochrane? Looking at cochranehill.com, which measures wind speeds, on Dec. 8, the average wind speed was around 24 km/hr, with a maximum of 32 km/hr for the day. What is the decibel output of the turbine when wind gusts hit 40-50 km/hr?
Is it fair to tell residents in the area of the turbine that they simply have to put up with a louder noise output until the wind dies down?
It’s easy for someone who doesn’t live in the area to support the project…they don’t live next to CHS and therefore would not be impacted in any way by the turbine.
The turbine sounds like a worthwhile, well-researched, environmentally conscious project, but where does the line get drawn between a great idea and neglecting the concerns of residents who are worried about the potential impact?
If only there was a way to test whether the turbine would have a negative effect on area residents, either putting their minds at ease or validating their apprehension.
Perhaps that would be a great project for CHS students, to see if there is a possible way to test these concerns, both for educational purposes and a lesson in public relations.
