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CHAPTERFOUR Enuironmentsl i~onsequences <br />• compressors <br />• conveyors <br />In addition, construction activities and utility installation would be transient sources of noise. Of <br />these sources, vehicle traffic and construction activities would generate the most ambient noise. <br />The boilers, generators, pumps, and compressors would be housed inside insulated buildings. <br />Enclosing these sources would diminish ambient noise to acceptable levels. The: fans associated <br />with operation of the boilers would contribute to the ambient noise. The generators, which <br />would operate intermittently in an emergenc}' backup capacity only, would not contribute <br />significantly to overall noise levels. Relative to the noise generated by vehicle b•affic, the dryer <br />fan, and construction activity, these housed sources aze expected to have only minor effects on <br />ambient noise levels. <br />Estimated noise levels in decibels and the anticipated hours of operation for each piece of <br />equipment are listed in Table 4.6-2. The majority of heavy truck travel and construction activity <br />would occur during the daytime, with some 24-hour activity. The remaining noise sources, <br />including operations noise and commuter traffic, would occur throughout the da~~. <br />Ambient Noise Standards <br />The State of Colorado has a statute governing sources of noise that constitute a public nuisance. <br />While neither Rio Blanco County nor Garfield County has specific noise ordinances, noise <br />concerns associated with a commercial facility may be addressed in Special Use Permits. <br />Colorado's noise standards are listed in Table 4.6-1. These standazds are based on the time of <br />day and the environmental setting or "zone" where a facility is located. Noise levels radiating <br />from a property line in excess of the dB(A) listed in Table 4.6-1 measured at a distance of 25 feet <br />or more constitute prima facie evidence that such noise is a public nuisance. Da;rtime noise <br />levels aze permitted to exceed those listed in Table 4.6-1 by ] 0 dB(A) for a maximum of <br />15 minutes during any 1-hour period. <br />Noise standazds apply to four zones: Residential, Commercial, Light Industrial, .and Industrial. <br />While none of these definitions exactly matches the remote, Waal locations of the: Piceance Site, <br />the Pazachute Site or along the pipeline, the Colorado noise statute makes allowances for <br />construction of projects such as the Yankee Gulch Project. Such projects aze subject to the <br />maximum permissible noise levels specified for Industrial zones. <br />Background Noise Levels <br />Noise monitoring near Meeker, Colorado, was conducted in the eazly 1980s in conjunction with <br />the oil shale projects on the West Slope. The highest background measurement near the Piceance <br />Site was 45 dB(A). This level is well below the permissible Colorado noise standards for <br />Residential zones (BLM 1982). Noise levels that are representative of the ambient background <br />for the region are discussed in Section 3.6. <br />4-34 Noise <br />