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August 9, 2011

BEP recommends quieter wind turbines

By Mainebiz News Staff

Public hearings are set to start on a recommendation from state regulators to lower the allowable level of nighttime noise generated by wind turbines.

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection endorsed a recommendation from the Department of Environmental Protection to lower nighttime noise limits for wind turbines from 45 to 42 decibels, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Activists from rural areas where wind farms operate had been seeking a new limit of 35 decibels, saying anything higher was noise pollution, but a lawyer representing the group said the new threshold, if approved, was a step in the right direction.

Paul Williamson, director of the Maine Wind Industry Initiative, said assessing noise levels is a complicated issue, but if the new level stands, it could mean greater setbacks for wind farms.

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