SM&W Contribution
Shen Milsom & Wilke provided consulting expertise to evaluate the noise from an existing PSE&G electrical substation in Southampton, New York, on far eastern Long Island. Noise concerns were already raised by the community and the substation was to be expanded to add another grounding bank and transformer. The purpose of our involvement was to assess the existing noise conditions and study the additional noise from the new equipment and contribute to an overall environmental impact to the NY State Department of Environmental Protection and New York State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) board.
Our services included a weeklong noise survey at the site supplemented by short term noise measurements within the surrounding community and sound source identification measurements within the substation. This noise survey was conducted as a pre-cursor to a SoundPlan noise analysis of the existing substation equipment, as well as the new equipment. Through the study it was determined that the new transformer and ground bank addition would not present a significant noise impact. Furthermore, it was found that the noise concerns of the community were related to specific individual’s unique hearing sensitivity and most like a unique atmospheric condition referred to as a temperature inversion. SM&W’s analysis included consideration of a noise barrier at the site to further reduce noise into the community and our report was ultimately part of a SEQRA State submission.