Thirteen miles from downtown Athens in Colbert, GA, a biomass power plant owned by Georgia Renewable Power continues to be a nuisance to nearby residents. A reading taken at the home of Mack and Cheryl Adams, who live 7/10ths of a mile from the power plant, revealed noise levels near 75 decibels, which is equivalent to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. The sound is not quite loud enough to cause hearing damage but is an annoyance that makes enjoying conversation, TV, or music impossible. And the noise is a nuisance even for residents who live further away from the plant.
Yesterday, the Madison County Clean Power Coalition announced the results of a noise survey targeted at residents who live near the plant, most within 5 miles. Ninety percent of the respondents indicated that they were bothered by the noise of the plant, which has a constant white noise tone and louder bursts that happen sporadically at any hour of the day, including late at night. Fifty percent indicated that the noise had interrupted their sleep, and 75% reported that it had kept them from enjoying yard activities.
The group hopes that the plant will implement noise mitigation measures and that the Madison County Board of Commissioners will develop a community noise ordinance that applies to industry.
