Upland Noise Clause Samples

Upland Noise. Blasting in upland areas near Tongass Narrows might be required to construct bridge approaches. Upland blasting could affect marine resources such as bald eagles and marine mammals, but would not affect inwater resources. Increased noise levels might temporarily disrupt the foraging behavior of bald eagles in the vicinity of the project.. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducted monitoring to determine the potential impacts on wintering eagles associated with pile-driving activities at Orcas and ▇▇▇▇ islands in San ▇▇▇▇ County, Washington, from December 15, 1986, through March 15, 1987 (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 1987). Each of the monitoring areas was associated with a Washington State ferry terminal. Background noise sources included ferry whistles, boat motors, chain saws, aircraft, front-end loaders, cranes, generators, diesel trucks, hammers, and other general noise sources associated with construction. Noise readings were taken at the construction sites and various intermediate points out to about 6,000 feet from the construction sites. The placement of woodpiles did not visibly disturb the eagles observed during the course of the study. A steel pile, which produces some of the loudest noises during pile driving, might have disturbed a bald eagle pair at a distance of 4,000 feet. However, this same pair of eagles had been in the same location during the driving of two steel piles earlier in the day and exhibited no visible disturbance reaction. The eagles returned to their preferred perch and no further adverse reactions were observed, even after over 100 wood piles were driven into the ground (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 1987). Environmental factors such as wind and wave action, movement of tree branches and forest litter, barking dogs, bird noises, automobiles, airplanes, human voices, woodcutting, light construction activities, boats, and other unidentified noise sources create ambient noise levels that are similar to those produced by pile driving at distances of 0.25 to 0.5 mile away from the point source (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 1987). WSDOT also monitored noise levels during pile-driving activities at its Anacortes, Washington facility (Visconty, S., Washington State Ferries, pers. comm., March 9, 2000). For comparison purposes, background noise levels were monitored at the Friday Harbor, Washington, terminal. At Friday Harbor, ambient noise levels around the closest bald eagle nest (located near the terminal) ranged between 45 and 72 decibels ...