APPENDIX F BASELINE NOISE REPORT APPENDIX F BASELINE NOISE REPORT F BASELINE NOISE REPORT Contents Summary A Baseline Noise Report was prepared for Damhead Creek 2. This is presented in this Appendix in: F.1 Baseline Noise Report Damhead Creek 2 – ES Volume 2 June 2009 APPENDIX F BASELINE NOISE REPORT F.1 Baseline Noise Report Damhead Creek 2 – ES Volume 2 June 2009 SCOTTISH POWER (DCL) LTD DAMHEAD CREEK 2 BASELINE NOISE REPORT December 2007 Prepared by Prepared for Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd ScottishPower (DCL) Ltd Queen Victoria House Damhead Creek Power Station Redland Hill Kingsnorth, Hoo St Werburgh, Bristol Rochester, Kent BS6 6US ME3 9TX Report Title : Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report Job No : 62725A CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Site Description 2 1.3 Legislative Guidance 2 2 METHODOLOGY 2 2.1 General 2 2.2 Noise Sensitive Receptors 3 2.3 Background Monitoring 3 3 SURVEYS UNDERTAKEN 4 3.1 24-Hour Control 4 3.2 Spot Measurements 4 4 BASELINE RESULTS 4 4.1 24-Hour Control 4 4.2 Spot Measurements 5 REFERENCES: 6 APPENDIX 1 7 APPENDIX 2 8 APPENDIX 3 9 APPENDIX 4 10 APPENDIX 5 11 Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd (PB) has been commissioned by Scottish Power Ltd to undertake a survey to quantify the existing background noise levels in the area of the proposed Damhead Creek 2 Power Station. Measurements to quantify noise levels have been undertaken on the northern boundary of the proposed site and at nine of the nearest noise sensitive receptors. Noise from both the existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station and the existing Kingsnorth Power Station was audible at all of the noise sensitive receptor locations with the exception of the measurements taken at Sturdee Cottages. Noise from the auxiliary plant supplying Kingsnorth power station with coal was audible at most NSR locations. All Noise Sensitive Receptor locations were affected by aircraft noise. Damhead Creek 2 Prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd December 2007 Page 1 for Scottish Power (DCL) Ltd Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.1.1 ScottishPower (DCL) Limited (ScottishPower) proposes to construct and operate a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Power Station (Damhead Creek 2). Damhead Creek 2 will constitute Phase 2 of the Damhead Creek Power Generation Development, Phase 1 of which is already in existence (the existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station) on the Hoo Peninsula, Kent. 1.1.2 Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd. (PB) has been commissioned by ScottishPower to undertake a baseline noise survey of the area to quantify the existing noise levels at the nearest noise sensitive receptors. This report details the approach and findings. 1.2 Site Description 1.2.1 The Damhead Creek 2 site is located on land immediately adjacent to the existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station that was commissioned in 2001. It lies approximately 3 km south-east of the A228, which connects the A2/M2 with the Isle of Grain, 9 km north-east of the city of Rochester and lies on the southern edge of the tongue of land between the Thames and Medway estuaries known as the Hoo Peninsula. The village of Hoo St Werburgh, the nearest settlement, lies 3 km to the west between the coast and A228. 1.2.2 To the north and west of the Damhead Creek 2 site lies the Kingsnorth Business Park and to the south is the existing Kingsnorth Power Station. Land to the north east of the Damhead Creek 2 site is filled with pulverised fuel ash and is designated as a future development area under the Medway Local Plan. Much of this land is now encompassed by two outline planning applications to Medway Council for a business distribution and storage facility proposed by the Goodman Group that will include up to eight storage warehouses and associated infrastructure. 1.2.3 The Damhead Creek 2 site adjoins an extensive area of ecological mitigation land which has been established and maintained as part of the Damhead Creek Power Generation Development. 1.3 Legislative Guidance 1.3.1 The guidance laid out in BS 7445:1991 “Description and Measurement of Environmental Noise” Parts 1 to 3 BSI, has been adhered to during the surveys undertaken. BS 7445 defines and prescribes best practice during the recording and reporting of environmental noise. It is inherently applied in all instances when making environmental noise measurements. 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 General 2.1.1 A background noise survey has been undertaken to quantify the existing noise levels at and around the existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station. The survey itself included the following measurement techniques: Damhead Creek 2 Prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd December 2007 Page 2 for Scottish Power (DCL) Ltd Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report x A sound level meter was left unattended on the Damhead Creek 2 site for a period of 72-hours to establish the variation in noise levels over this period x Spot measurements were taken at nine Noise Sensitive Receptors near to Damhead Creek 2. 2.1.2 A glossary of acoustics terminology is provided in Appendix 1. 2.2 Noise Sensitive Receptors 2.2.1 The Noise Sensitive Receptors (NSR’s) that have been identified are as follows: Tudor Farm, Polly Adams Cottage Riverview Cottage Tunbridge Hill Whitehall Farm Beluncle Farm Sturdee Cottages Eschol Lane / Jacobs Lane Nature Study Area Market Garden / Dog Kennels 2.3 Background Monitoring 2.3.1 All noise monitoring was conducted in accordance with the guidance set out in BS 7445: 1991*. Measurements were made using Class 1 Sound Level Meters, which were calibrated and checked before and after each measurement period, with no change in level noted. The annual calibration certificates for the meters used are provided in Appendix C, which also shows the serial numbers of all the equipment used. Microphones were placed 1.2 - 1.5m above the ground, and at least 1.5m from any reflective surface. Note that the A-weighted frequency network and Fast (F) time weighting was used for all measurements. 2.3.2 Measurements took place over a typical weekday period between the 27th and 30th of November 2007. Weather conditions were conducive to successful monitoring, with zero precipitation and wind speeds less than 5ms-1. The ambient temperature was between 5°C and 10°C during the whole survey. A wind shield was used to minimise the effects of wind noise. 2.3.3 The site engineer was Philip Jordan (AMIOA) of PB. Damhead Creek 2 Prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd December 2007 Page 3 for Scottish Power (DCL) Ltd Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report 3 SURVEYS UNDERTAKEN 3.1 24-Hour Control 3.1.1 A sound level meter (Control) was left unattended for a period of 72-hours. The sound level meter was left in a weatherproof case with the external microphone at a height of 1.5m above ground level. The meter was set to log the following overall statistical parameters every 5 minutes: LA90, LAmax, LAeq. 3.1.2 The Control was located at the north perimeter of the Damhead Creek 2 site next to the fence. The control location is shown in Figure 1, Appendix 2. 3.2 Spot Measurements 3.2.1 Four measurements were taken during daytime and night-time periods with two measurements being taken during the evening period. All measurements were 10- minutes long and were synchronised with the control measurements. Measurements were taken in the following periods. x Daytime 0700 – 1800 x Evening 1900 – 2300 x Night-time 0000 – 0500 3.2.2 The following statistical parameters were recorded in third octave bands, LA10, LA90, LAmax, LAmin, LAeq. Measurements were taken at all 10 NSR with the exception of Whitehall Farm. 3.2.3 The measurement locations are illustrated in Figure 1, Appendix 2. 4 BASELINE RESULTS 4.1 24-Hour Control 4.1.1 The variation in noise levels of the site have been quantified over a 72-hour period, the full results of the control measurements are presented in the 72-hour Control Chart, Appendix D. A summary of the 24-hour measurements is presented in Table 1. LAeq LA90 Period 0700 - 2300 61 60 2300 - 0700 59 58 Table 1: Summary of Control Data 4.1.2 Noise levels at the control measurement location were dominated by noise from the existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station. Damhead Creek 2 Prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd December 2007 Page 4 for Scottish Power (DCL) Ltd Damhead Creek 2 Baseline Noise Report 4.1.3 Noise levels were also affected by plant noise from the coal fields to the south of the proposed site. th 4.1.4 The lowest LAeq and LA90 measured were during the night-time period on 28 November 2007. The existing Damhead Creek CCGT Power Station was operating at the minimal load at that moment in time. 4.2 Spot Measurements 4.2.1 The full set of results for the spot measurements taken are shown in the Noise Monitoring Forms in Appendix 5. A summary of the measurements taken at each spot locations are presented in Table 2. Lowest Measurement Day Evening Night Location LAeq LA90 LAeq LA90 LAeq LA90 1 40 37 41 37 37 36 2 46 37 45 37 38 37 3 55 39 37 35 41 35 5 46 41 43 39 41 37 6 62 42 58 43 43 35 7 58 44 59 42 42 33 8 46 42 40 38 34 33 9 43 40 44 39 40 35 10 43 39 42 39 40 38 Table 2: Summary of Lowest Spot Measurements 4.2.2 Noise from both power stations was audible at all measurement locations with the exception of measurement location 7, Sturdee Cottages.