City committee considers noise changes

Energy companies would have to file a noise management plan with the city before they could drill for natural gas inside the city limits under new rules being studied by a city committee.

The committee met Monday.

The noise plan would require the company to list the protected buildings, such as houses, church or hospitals, within 1,000 feet of the drilling site and provide a plan to protect the surrounding area from noise.

Companies would have to measure noise levels at the place where a complaint is reported instead of at the building nearest the well site.

“It’s a more proactive approach,” said Gary Hogan, a neighborhood representative on the committee.

Among the other recommendations:

-- A change in the measurement of predrilling sound levels. Companies would have to measure the level over three days, including a Saturday or Sunday, instead of one day under the current standard. That is expected to lower the baseline noise levels at most sites because weekends are typically quieter than weekdays.

-- A change to allow some noise at night during fracturing, as much as 3 decibels above background. That would likely prohibit heavy work but allow companies to do things such as restock their sites at night. Three decibels above background is the lowest level that human ears can detect, noise consultant Don Behrens said.

-- A requirement that companies list a local phone number to call for noise complaints. The city’s gas well inspectors have said they frequently call the numbers posted at drilling sites, only to reach an answering service. “I called one and it was in Casper, Wyoming,” gas inspector Tom Edwards said.

-- Mike Lee

Comments

[one more well drilled today]

gary hogan, FOOL of the WEEK, stay tuned for the next "FOOL of the WEEK"

hey well digger, may all your holes be
dry. the more dry holes, the less noise.