Picton Terminals seeks noise bylaw exemption
Administrator | Aug 23, 2017 | Comments 5
Aug 23- UPDATE: Council will delay any decision on hours of operation for Picton Terminals due to legal issues.
Aug. 22 – The citizens’ group Save Picton Bay, concerned about environmental impacts, is challenging Prince Edward County Council’s zoning decision in court. That hearing is expected to be held at the end of October.
A decision on hours of operation for the port would be made when the legal matter is settled.
Picton Terminals is seeking council’s approval to allow for an amendment to the noise bylaw when a vessel is at the shipping terminal – relieving a challenge at the port to work to the vessels’ schedule.
“The major challenge any port has is you must work to the vessel’s schedule to load or unload and this schedule is always 24 hours a day,” said Ben Doornekamp, of Picton Terminals, in a letter to the mayor and councillors. “The effect of not operating when vessels are at port 24 hours a day is longer load and unload times because 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. would be a dead time… creating very large costs… that could be deal breakers that will push vessels to other ports to the east or west.”
Staff is recommending an exemption to allow for a 70 decibel noise limit at the nearest point of reception 24 hours per day for one year. The exemption would be re-evaulated at the end of the period for possible permanency.
A previous exemption has expired. It required noise measurements and observations by a qualified noise specialist to determine actual levels, effectiveness of proposed mitigation measures and impact on sensitive receptors and residents. A noise study was been completed but due to a small sample size, results were inconclusive.
Picton Terminals notes it will continue to exercise noise mitigation measures from sunset to sunrise to stay below 70 decibels (currently 60 decibels) at the nearest receptors and increase the time restriction upon them to include from sunet to sunrise (currently from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.).
The company anticipates approximately 30 nights per year when vessels will be at port 24 hours for loading/unloading.
Following the second study year, a report identifying impacts and mitgating actions is to be submitted to the County for review.
Picton Terminals, owned by the Doornekamp family since 2014, is planning an open house to be held in September to show off the rebuilt 1953 shiploader.
Filed Under: Local News
maybe a little salt in the bay might kill some of the other contaminents
A break? It’s Picton Bay that deserves the break.
It is funny that all the years that Don Foley owned this property that no salt leached in the water and no nois was createn unloading the ships and loading the trucks but when someone tries to make something of this place that has been here since the early 50’s you are on his back.Give the guy a break.
“A noise study was been completed but due to a small sample size, results were inconclusive.”
A noise study? our property is directly adjacent to Picton Terminals and nobody ever asked if they could put a decibel meter on our property.
Hope everything goes well.Will be there for open house.