October 9, 2015
Rhode Island

Deepwater Wind working to quiet droning noise heard across Narragansett Bay

By Mark Schieldrop (Patch Staff) | North Kingstown Patch | October 8, 2015 | patch.com

North Kingstown residents have been complaining about the persistent droning sound late at night and in the early morning hours.

The company building an offshore wind farm in the waters off Block Island is promising to try and eliminate the source of a droning noise that has been bothering people across Narragansett Bay.

Some residents along the shoreline have been hearing a droning noise in the early morning and late night hours for several weeks. And it has been unnerving enough for the North Kingstown Police Department to end up fielding several calls and complaints.

The noise is caused by one of the construction support vehicles used for the construction of the tall wind turbines, company officials said, and the contractor that owns it has been instructed to take several steps to mitigate the noise.

The vessel, the Rosemary Miller, is used to carry crew and supplies to and from the construction site, Deepwater Wind said in an email message.

“We have spoken to our installation contractor responsible for the crew transfer vessel. The contractor has instructed the Rosemary Miller to remain offshore as much as possible, and will use other vessels to make runs to and from the mainland. The contractor is also currently looking for another vessel to replace the Rosemary Miller for the rest of construction.”

Deepwater Wind is in the midst of constructing five 30 megawatt wind turbines in what is being called the Block Island Wind Farm. Once completed, it will be the first offshore wind farm to open in the United States.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/10/09/deepwater-wind-working-to-quiet-droning-noise-heard-across-narragansett-bay/