[USCC] Grinder Decibel levels

[Matthew Cotton]

Jeff -

You may have already done this, but you might want to contact specific 
equipment vendors and ask them specifically (they don't often respond 
to the list-serve). Most have had one or more machines tested either at 
the factory or in the field as their clients tried to comply with noise 
restrictions or to satisfy CEQA requirements.  My recollection is that 
a typical tub grinder is around 85 decibels at the grinder and 
dissipates fairly quickly the further you move away from the grinder. 
Obviously there is a relationship between noise and horsepower and the 
type of grinder (tub versus horizontal, etc). If you have only a few 
specific grinders in mind, I would contact the specific manufacturers 
directly. If you want a lot more data points you could search the State 
Clearinghouse database (in Sacramento - http://www.ceqanet.ca.gov/) 
which has a searchable database of environmental documents (mostly full 
EIRs). You will probably find dozen of CEQA documents (or references to 
CEQA projects) which can then be tracked down through County Planning 
offices. Increasingly the whole document is on the web: For example 
here is the link to the Draft EIR that was done for the ill-fated Sunol 
Composting Facility in Alameda County - while never completed, the 
Draft EIR has some excellent info on Noise Impacts 
(http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=736). You can download 
just the Noise Element here. (They list the grinder at 85 decibels, but 
have readings for all sorts of other processing equipment as well.)

Hope this is useful.

Matthew Cotton
Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC
19375 Lake City Road
Nevada City, CA  95959
(530) 265-4560
Fax (530) 265-4547
mattcotton at mindspring.com

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