September 17, 2010
Maine, Noise, Ordinances, Safety

Town of Phillips, Maine, Wind Energy Facility Ordinance

Phillips, Maine

Large/Commercial Wind Energy Facility: A single wind turbine with a nameplate capacity of 100 kW or a turbine height (measured to the top of an upright blade) of more than 150 feet. Or a WEF composed of two or more turbines each with a nameplate capacity of 1 kW or more. Or a WEF (of any size or number of turbines) 25% or more of whose power is intended for sale or use by entities or persons other than the generator.

Acoustic Standards. Sound levels due to the operation of the WEF shall not exceed 30 dBA or 50 dBC at property lines or structures in the Town of Phillips.

Setback Distance Standards (all measurements and distances in feet)

Falling and Debris Hazard:  1.5 × overall height

Flicker Hazard:  Flicker analysis report required

Acoustic Hazard:  10((Lw + Lu + Ls + 4log(n) − .5 − 30) ÷ 20)
(Lw = max. sound power level of turbine in dBA re 1pW ; Lu = uncertainty factor in dBA = 5; Ls = safety factor in dBA = 2; n = no. of turbines)

Example setbacks for acoustic hazard:
1 turbine with max. 102 dBA: 8,414 feet
5 turbines with max. 102 dBA: 11,609 feet
10 turbines with max. 102 dBA: 13,335 feet
1 turbine with max. 107 dBA: 14,962 feet
5 turbines with max. 107 dBA: 20,644 feet
10 turbines with max. 107 dBA: 23,714 feet

Environmentally Sensitive Areas. The design, construction, and maintenance of a WEF shall protect all environmentally sensitive areas that may be affected by its siting. Such areas shall include but not limited to wetlands, vernal pools, seeps or springs, steep slopes (equal to or greater than 15%), watersheds, flood plains, significant habitat for wildlife, fish, and plants. An application for a Type 3 WEF permit shall demonstrate appropriate measures for protecting all such areas during both construction and operation of the WEF.

Download original document: “Town of Phillips, Maine, Wind Energy Facility Ordinance [1]


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/town-of-phillips-maine-wind-energy-facility-ordinance/


URLs in this post:

[1] Town of Phillips, Maine, Wind Energy Facility Ordinance: https://docs.wind-watch.org/PhillipsME-WindEnergyFacilityOrdinance.pdf