178.00.11 Ark. Code R. 003

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 10, October, 2024

Rule 178.00.11-003 - Rule D-20: Noise Level Requirements for Non-Wellhead Compressor Facilities

GENERAL RULE D - 20 NOISE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-WELLHEAD COMPRESSOR FACILITIES

a) Applicability:

1) The provisions of this rule apply to all non-wellhead compressor facilities or stations used in the production process, as defined in Ark Code Ann. § 15-71-110 as amended, or whose owner is not affiliated with an Arkansas natural gas public utility and the majority owner is either a production company or an affiliate of a production company.

2) All non-wellhead compressor facilities in operation as of the initial effective date of this rule shall be in compliance with the provisions of this rule by July 1, 2012.

3) All non-wellhead compressor facilities that become operational after the initial effective date of this rule shall be in compliance with the provisions of the rule within one year of commencing compressing operations.

b) Definitions:

1) "ANSI" means the American National Standards Institute, and any reference to an ANSI publication shall refer to the version that was in effect as of January 1, 2011, unless otherwise stated.

2) "Leq" means the Equivalent Continuous Sound Level which is the notional sound pressure level which, if maintained constant over a given time, delivers the same amount of acoustic energy at some point as the time-varying sound pressure level would deliver at the same point and over the same period of time.

3) "Noise sensitive area" means a building with an established mailing address that is being utilized as a private residence,, school, hospital, church, nursing home, or other building of a type that is regularly used for overnight accommodation.

4) "Non-well head compressor facility or station" means any compressor facility or station used for the purpose of compressing natural gas for pipeline transportation. This shall not include a compressor facility or station located on a well pad for the purpose of enhancing production of natural gas from the well or wells located on the pad.

5) "Normal full-load operating conditions" means the normal operating condition of the non-wellhead compressor facility or station, excluding accidents, emergency situations, other unforeseen temporary operational deviations, including without limitation the performance of maintenance or construction activities.

c) The noise levels for a non-wellhead compressor facility or station during normal full-load operating conditions shall not exceed 55 dB(A) Leq, as measured from the exterior of the nearest noise sensitive area existing at the time of commencement of initial construction of the non-wellhead compressor facility or station.

d) Noise levels shall be measured as follows:

1) By utilizing a Type 1 sound level meter, as defined in ANSI S1.4, set for A-weighting per ANSI S1.11, and slow meter response.

2) Sound level measurements shall be in substantial compliance with standard environmental acoustical measurement practices as outlined in ANSI S 12.9.

3) The Leq contribution due to a non-wellhead compressor facility or station shall be determined using short-term sound level averages taken during periods with minimal audible intrusion from extraneous sources other than the non-wellhead compressor facility or station under test. The following extraneous noise shall be excluded from the measurements to the fullest extent possible:

a) Wind;

b) Vehicular Traffic;

c) Residential heating, ventilating, and air conditioning;

d) Aircraft over-flights;

e) Bird sounds;

f) Insect sounds; and

g) Other noise generating equipment unrelated to the non-wellhead compressor facility or station.

e) Any owner or operator of a non-well head compressor facility or station found to be in violation of the provisions of this rule shall pursue with reasonable diligence a remedy to correct the violation. Any violation shall be considered an "operational" violation in accordance with General Rule A-5.

178.00.11 Ark. Code R. 003

11/2/2011