• Specialty

  Air Quality
  Noise / Vibration
  

• SECTOR

  Commercial
  

• TYPE

  Environmental Study
  Permitting / Compliance
  

• CLIENTELE

  Private Sector
  

• TIMESPAN

  2009

• LOCATION

  East Hampton, MA

Easthampton Stop & Shop Greenhouse Gas and Noise Impact Analyses

SERVICE:

Greenhouse Gas and Noise Impact Analyses

DESCRIPTION:

Tech was asked to perform a noise impact study and a greenhouse gas analysis for a grocery store proposed in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The project turned out to be controversial and the analyses were delayed.

The objective of the noise impact study was to determine whether the operation of the Stop & Shop Supermarket would comply with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Noise Policy. The policy specifies that the ambient sound level, measured at the property line of the facility or at the nearest inhabited buildings, shall not be increased by more than 10 decibels weighted for the "A" scale [dB(A)] due to the sound from the facility during its operating hours. The first step was to measure existing sound levels at locations surrounding the project site to document the existing acoustic environment prior to construction of the project. The second step was to use the Cadna-A acoustic model, based on International Standard ISO 9613, to calculate the sound levels from the shopping center at various locations around the site. As part of the acoustical analysis, both equipment manufacturers' and field-measured sound data collected at existing Stop & Shop Supermarkets were utilized. The calculated sound levels at the property lines and nearby residences were then compared with existing sound levels and to the DEP Noise Policy limits. The potential sources of sound from the project were: mechanical rooftop equipment, loading dock activity, delivery truck refrigeration units, and trash compactor operation. Mitigation included use of low-noise equipment, enclosed loading docks, and sound barriers. With the mitigation, the new Stop & Shop Supermarket was shown to not create a noise nuisance condition and to fully comply with the most stringent sound level limits established by the Massachusetts DEP. A greenhouse gas analysis was performed that followed the guidance from the MA DEP. CO2 emissions for a baseline case and a mitigation case were calculated. Various CO2 mitigation measures were addressed.

 

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Key Points