Hay could The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 21, 1998 - AI stifle noise By JEFF NAGEL SKEENA CELLULOSE is erecting a wall of bay to try to muffle the noisy chipper in its log yard. “We bought 178 bales and we’re going to build a wall of bales and see if that works,’’ said company spokesman Derrick Curtis, The company is also hiring an acoustic engineer who specializes in noise pollution problems. City councillor Linda Hawes, who suggested the hay bale idea to Curtis, hopesthe chipper gets surrounded by hay bales. “I grew up ona farm and the quietest part of the whole farm is in the hay barn,”’ she said. If the hay is only in a line on the north side, she noted, it would do nothing to silence the complaints of residents -south of the tracks, + SCI and the owners of the chipper — Don Hull and Sons *Contracting Ltd. — have rejected as too expensive the op- ‘tion of constructing a building to house the machine. That “was identified by cily bylaw enforcement officer Frank «Bowsher i in an in-camera report to council as the only real ‘solution and one that the city should pursue despite local seconomic conditions. “That's just not feasible because of the cost of the build- ving,” Curtis said. ‘“We got one estimate from an engineer News In Brief vin. Vancouver for $2.1 million. Not in today’s market. «We'd move it to Thornhill first.”” + Bowsher’s report says the noise of the chipper is audible throughout the western part of town —- ali the way from ‘the McConnell and Mountain Vista areas of the bench to rthe far end of Braun's Island. “One morming the city planner and I went up to Eagle + Place and with a backhoe working and skill saws running, ‘we could still hear the chipper loudly,’’? Bowsher said in * the report. : The machine stops operating at 1:00 a.m. and then + Tesumes again at 6:30 a.m. Processing smaller sized logs in : «the late evening hours may reduce the noise somewhat, but «the complaints continue. : Bowsher’s report says identical chippers elsewhere have sbeen housed in steel insulated buildings to deaden the «noise. Those chippers, he notes, handle much smaller sized + logs than the one here. : “Even though ihis chipper is located in an industrial ‘zone and given the way the economy is today, we should not tum a blind eye to the problems that are occurring,” *Bowsher concluded. ‘‘The health of the residents is a con- ‘cem as the noise is heard all over town.”’ ' Curtis hopes the hay bales making a wall five bales high ‘ang 130 feet long will work. « “To me they’re good sound-deadening material,”’ be ‘said. Curtis noted that the noise produced by the chipper’s “debarker drum is within decibel limits. But it disturbs slumbering locals and draws complaints ‘because it’s not a continuous consistent noise, like the csawmill, but an irregular thumping noise. Curtis also said complaints may go down as winter sets ; in and people keep their windows shut more of the time. : He also thinks the degree of irritation depends on the ‘wind direction and whether or not West Fraser’s sawimill is fully operational. The hay bales will be lined up to the north of the chipper, ‘forming a wall between it and the eazs of residents on the ‘bench and along Hwy16 west. Noise-control efforts will oe : ae me poe pk? Soe ie © f0 go 8 Tong way 10 ap peiie residents immediately io) FF GURTIS, from Skeena Callulosé, and clty counelllor Linda Hawes with, “es awful in our house, just awful,”’ said Yvonne Dan- ° hay bales they hope will stifle noise from the tog chipper that’s in the background. roth, owner of the Wild Duck Inn on Hwy 16 West. “It The noise made by machine has resulted in complaints from near and faraway just pounds. I think it’s going to affect my business in the residents. A suggestion that the chipper be enclosed in an insulated building has Jong run.” ; been rejected as too expensive by the company. They're lighter. They’re more responsive. They're new, And powerful new race-bred ZR* 700, the tratl- hugging ZL™ 600 Trees for 2000 a goal THE CITY should aim ta plant 200 trees by the Year 2000 as a millenium project, says city councillor David Hull. A major commitment to make the city greener would be a more lasting way of marking the millenium than a celebration or other event, Hull says. Hull says he thought about a goal of 2000 trees, but decided that would be too ambitious and lopped a zero off the idea. He says he thought of it after a consultant here this spring looking at the city’s downtown observed the town centre is heavy on asphalt and parking lots and low on greenery. “Considering we live in a temperate rainforest we're pretty naked Looking,’’ Hull said. ‘“We really should have more civic trees,”” Council referred Hull’s idea to committee for further study and possible budget deliberations. Olher councillors called it a great idea, but stressed the need for both a plan of where trees would be placed and a way of covering ongoing maintenance costs. Hull suggested the project might be partnered with the Beautification Society and other groups. Trees could also be sponsored, he added, by corpora- tions, families, clubs and associations, and could be dedicated in memory of loved ones. Nisga’a question period THE TERRACE AND District Chamber of Commerce plays host Nov, 12 to a question and answer session on the Nisga’a treaty. ‘*We hope to have a senior member of the provincial icgotiating team an hand,’’ said chamber manager Bobbie Phillips of the session. This will be a lunch meeting, lime and place to be an- nounced faler. Those interested can call the chamber office at 635-2063 to book a seat. The session is one of many underway throughout the province as part of the provincial government’s efforts to explain and sell the treaty. Terrace gets ICBC grant TERRACE AND 30 other cities, districts and municipalities in B.C. are benefiting this year from ICBC grants-in-liew of taxes. The city of Terrace will receive $18,847 from ICBC this year. As a provincial crown corporation, ICBC is not re- quired to pay business and properly taxes. Instead, communities receive annual grants that are equal to the laxes which would be levied if ICBC were a private business. Grants are paid to communities with ICBC Claim Centres, administrative offices and storage and salvage yards, The municipal grants vary according to the size and location of the Premises and differences, in local mill rates. The city of Vancouver, where ICBC: has fiv ive offices, receives the largest grant — $1.15 million. This information is provided by Helmut Giesbrecht, MLA (Skeena) Here is a chart from their best yet, they’re here. Come see the 1999 Arctic Cats. The | four- page In sert in Al berta newspa pers: EFI, the high-climbing Powder Special® 700 the luxurious. _ Patera? and many rrore. But you better get in quick, | PER CAPITA FUNDING OF HEALTH CARE because these new sleds are moving out fast. . | $2000 $1900 SATSASH 2 uv t0 $300 Cat Cash which can be “we used toward the purchase of Arcticwear* ap genuine Arctic Cat parts and | — $1800 accessories. Financing Available O.A.C. Cat Cash Ends October 31. ARCTIC CAT : tread lightty!° & What Snowmobiling All About.” S 1600 LEAVING A GOOD IMPRESSION ™ $1700 Always wear a helmet and don't drink and ride. © 1998 Arctic Cat Sales Inc, ® ™ ‘Trademarks of Arctic Cat Inc., Thief River Falla, MN 66701 (218)681-4999 § ] 500 Per Capita Public Sector Health Exp anditures 1997 FORECAST B.C. Manitoba Sask. Ontario Nfld. New PE.I. Quebec Nova Alberta Brunswick Scotia Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information.