SAUGUS — Wheelabrator Saugus will implement a new drag valve silencer system at the facility this spring in a move representatives say will help reduce noise pollution in nearby communities.
The plant’s Vice President of Environment, Health, and Safety, Jim Connolly, who announced the news at the Board of Health’s Wheelabrator subcommittee meeting this week, said that following an engineering study requested by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 2018, Wheelabrator had identified and improved a silencer drag valve system that would produce significantly less noise than the plant’s current system.
He explained the noise residents hear coming from the plant is part of the process of converting waste into energy, during which high-temperature and high-pressure steam is produced and directed to the turbine to generate electricity for the local power grid.
During conditions when the turbine is not available, the steam is released into the atmosphere through an open pipe, which can create significant noise.
To minimize noise impacts, a system that reduces steam — the drag valve — and reduces sound — the silencer — is used.
“In response to community concerns, and in conjunction with the ongoing work with the Board of Health subcommittee, we have decided to voluntarily move forward with this project,” Connolly said. “We expect this (change) will produce a noticeable and significant improvement from the current design and current performance of that system when steam is vented when necessary.”
Saugus Public Health Director John Fralick noted the technological improvements will drop the plant’s noise emissions from 96 decibels to 70 decibels, adding that representatives from the plant likened the difference in noise levels to the difference between a lawn tractor and a household vacuum cleaner.
State noise laws dictate that anything above a 10-decibel raise from ambient levels is considered to be in violation of state regulations. The plant is currently in the process of completing an acoustic study to determine the town’s own level of ambient noise.
“I certainly think anything proactive that Wheelabrator does in terms of noise mitigation can only benefit the town at this point,” Fralick said, although he said he remains cautious. “These are their claims thus far. We’ll see how much noise is reduced in practice when they proceed with the installation.”
Noise pollution from the facility has long been a hotly debated topic within the community.
In June of last year, a steam turbine at the plant was taken out of use for repairs, which resulted in the noisy process of escaping steam being released directly into the air. A silencer was used to mitigate the sound, but residents in Saugus, Revere, and Lynn compared the noise to that of a plane constantly flying overhead. After 10 days of unrelenting din, the plant decided to halt operations for several days until an enhanced silencer could be installed.
Residents in affected communities have since pushed heavily for tighter restrictions surrounding all facility operations, which ultimately led the Board of Health to form its Wheelabrator Subcommittee early last month.
However, subcommittee member Corinne Riley was optimistic about the announcement.
“I think it’s going to be a relief for the people down there,” she said. “Obviously there’s a lot more work to do regarding the issues they’ve been plagued with down in East Saugus and Revere, but it’s just going to take time.”
Wheelabrator will implement the new equipment, which is estimated to cost $500,000, later this spring.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
