APPENDIX D

SUPPLEMENTAL NOISE EVALUATION

1200 Scottsville Road, Building C, Suite 320, Rochester, NY 14624
T 877.294.9010 | F 585.563.6582 | W www.cornerstoneeg.com

August 17, 2017 (revised March 12, 2018)

Mr. Matt McGarry, P.E.

Town of Colonie Public Operations Center
Department of Public Works
347 Old Niskayuna Rd.
Latham, NY 12110-2289

Re: Proposed Area 7 Development Sound Level Evaluation

Supplemental Information
Town of Colonie Landfill
Cohoes, New York

Dear Matt:

In order to provide clarification and additional information associated with the potential
sound level impacts that operations associated with the Proposed Area 7 Development
might have on receptors in the surrounding area, Cornerstone Engineering and Land
Surveying, PLLC (Cornerstone) is pleased to provide additional information to
supplement the results of the evaluation presented in the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).

Attached please find Table 1, which includes supplemental information from Table 2-2
found in the DEIS. This table presents the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) monitoring
locations from around the landfill associated with the November 2014 survey, as well as
the projected SPLs related to the Area 7 operations. Table 1 includes the projected
daytime background Leq, calculated SPLs associated with the Area 7 operations at the
monitoring locations with the background SPLs included, additional locations (6A, 6B,
and 6C) where operational SPLs along residential property lines will likely exceed
62 dBA, and the projected SPLs in those areas with the noise barriers deployed. As
presented in Table 1, with the exception of the Grace Bible Church and the property line
boundary areas to the north, the projected SPLs all of the monitoring locations from the
combined background and operational SPLs associated with Area 7 result in SPLs that
fall within the range observed during the 2014 survey and presented in the DEIS. The
Mr. Matt McGarry, P.E.
August 17, 2017 (revised March 12, 2018)
Page 2

projected combined SPL from background and Area 7 operations are higher at the
Church/Landfill property line than those observed during the survey because the
background SPL obtained before the facility opened was higher than the SPLs recorded
during operational hours. The higher background SPL obtained before the facility
opened is likely due to traffic on Route 9, which is the most significant source of noise in
the area.

SPLs recorded at the property line of the Church are lower due to the distance from
Route 9 and the topography which acts as a barrier between the traffic noise from the
road and the rear of the Church parcel. Projected SPLs shown on Table 1 for locations 8
and 9 across the river from the facility are slightly higher than those recorded during the
survey because the highest observed operational SPL was used in the calculation, as no
background data was collected. Sound levels in this area are for the most part related to
the water going over the nearby falls.

The attached Figure 1, which is an updated version of Figure 2-14 found in the DEIS,
depicts the projected SPL contours away from the landfill more clearly in relation to the
proposed limits of Area 7. The original figure depicted the limits of Area 7 as a dashed
white line. The revised Figure 1 depicts the limits of Area 7 in red, making it clearly
discernable from the white SPL contours. The contours represent the projected SPL at
any given point around the perimeter of the facility, when operations are at the limit of
Area 7.

Additionally, new Figures 2 and 3 have been created. Figure 2 presents the projected
SPLs from the Facility in the southwest portion of the site associated with the traffic in
new entrance area and the Area 7 operations without any mitigation. Figure 3 presents
the proposed locations of temporary noise control barriers which will be used in the
scale/entrance area in the vicinity of the nearby Church property line, and when Area 7
operations are occurring in the southwest portion of the facility when those operations
are close enough to the nearby property boundaries to result in SPLs from operations
greater than 62 dBA. As depicted on Figure 3, the noise barriers will be located in the
vicinity of property boundary and at the highest elevations between the property line
and the operations. Additional barriers will be set up as needed at or near the working
face of the landfill to ensure sound level compliance is achieved. While these barriers
can provide a SPL reduction of 8 to 14 dBA, a reduction of 8 dBA was used in
calculating the SPL reduction provided by the barriers to account for lower frequency
sounds related to trucks and equipment. The barriers will reduce sound levels from
facility operations in the vicinity of the Grace Bible Church and the 2 residential

C:\Users\richard.calogero\Documents\Colonie Noise\Feb2018Resp\2018-03-12 Response to Noise Comment.docx

 45dBA

EXISTING
ENTRANCE AND
PROPERTY OWNED SCALE FACILITY 50dBA
BY WASTE
CONNECTIONS CRESCENT
3 TERR
55dBA

PROPOSED 2
ENTRANCE AND 70dBA 7
SCALE FACILITY 6 60dBA
65dBA
5

65dBA

40dBA
1

35dBA
50dBA

45dBA
55dBA
60dBA
FONDA RD

70dBA
4

US ROUTE 9
70dBA
65dBA
60dBA
GREEN
MOUNTAIN DR 55dBA

ARROWHEAD LN
50dBA

45dBA

TOWPATH LN
CRESCENT RD

9
40dBA
FLIGHTLOCK RD

50dBA

1
SUPPLEMENTAL NOISE ANALYSIS
PROJECTED SPL CONTOURS
 A
dB
60dBA

55
62dBA
55dBA

65dBA

70dBA 6C

6B
60dBA

62dBA
60dBA
62dBA
65dBA

70dBA
6 65dBA

75dBA
6A
78dBA

70dB
A

80dB
90dB A
A

55dBA

2
SUPPLEMENTAL NOISE ANALYSIS
PROJECTED SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS WITHOUT BARRIER
 50dBA
55dBA

6C

50dBA
55dBA
60dBA
68.4dBA

6B
60dBA

62dBA
65dBA

70dBA
6 50d
BA

75dBA
6A 55d
BA
78dBA 60d
BA
62d
BA
70
d
80d BA
BA

62dBA
75dBA 70dBA
87dBA

1
1

55dBA

3
SUPPLEMENTAL NOISE ANALYSIS
PROPOSED TEMPORARY NOISE BARRIER LOCATION