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rs <br /> Chandler Martin <br /> October 14, 2010 <br /> Page 2 <br /> greater than daytime peak hour levels,is nevertheless worthy of study in an Environmental <br /> Impact Report. <br /> Most important,in terms of environmental effect, is the increased noise impacts of the <br /> project. 1 am aware of the County's ongoing efforts to require an adequate noise study for this <br /> project, one which recognizes that.noise receptors(residents near the plant and along the initial <br /> haul route) will be more affected by noise at night than they are during,the daytime. For more <br /> than two years, l have been requesting that if the-applicant's noise consultant were allowed to <br /> prepare the noise study, that it be independently peer-reviewed. Having worked on many mining <br /> prnjGcts over The past twenty,years,-.and,having.reviewed-couritless noise studies,I know that <br /> they are highly technical, and the conclusions can vary widely depending on whether the <br /> appropriate methodologies were used: Dere, while staff has used its best efforts to review and <br /> critique the"lnvironmental Noise.Analysis"prepared by Munn and Perkins' consultant, and has <br /> requested numerous revisions, the unfortunate fact is that a full peer-review was never done. <br /> When we reviewed the Environmental Noise Analysis ("ENA"), my clients were <br /> incredulous to find that,among other things,the ENA(a) found that there was a small (less than <br /> 10%) possibility of sleep awakenings during;night operations,and{b) there appeared to be only a <br /> Cow weak and largely unenforceable mitigation measures available. "Phis lack of ineaning;fiil <br /> analysis prompted my clients to retain the services of J.C. Brennan and Associates to conduct the <br /> rigorous peer-review which was missing from staff's analysis. As you will see from the attached <br /> report, Mr. Brennan has identified many significant deficiencies in the ENA, which call into <br /> serious doubt its adequacy as air informational document. Most notably,Mr. Brennan concludes <br /> that by using Tlic proper analytical model.for predicting sleep disturbance, there is in fact a 97% <br /> probability of awakening during night operations. This,not coincidentally, comports more <br /> closely with the neighbors' personal and documented experiences with Munn and Perkins' <br /> previously approved occasional night operations. Clearly,this is a significant impact which must <br /> be mitigated. It also bears upon the Planning,Commission's ability to make the required finding <br /> that the Revision would not be"significantly detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, <br /> or be injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity." 'fliere are numerous other flaws <br /> in the ENA,as outlined in the Brennan Report. <br /> While the neighborhood can,and has,put up with the noise,dust and odors from plant <br /> operations and truck traffic during"tlic daytime hours for more than 50 years,this application will <br /> allow those same operations to continue unabated, AND allow those same operations to continue <br /> into the nighttime hours. With more and more public agencies seeking;to conduct road paving <br /> projects at night, there is an entirely new construction market and opportunity for operators like <br /> Munn and Perkins. But the fact that these jobs are now available does not mean that every <br /> facility previously approved for daytime operations is appropriately situated to operate at night. <br /> An operation like Munn and Perkins'River Road site, with its long-history of nuisance <br /> complaints and unauthorized cmalruction, as well as its close proximity to long-established <br /> residences, is not an appropriate facility to serve Might construclion,lobs. <br /> Fortunately, the applicant has a number of other permitted sites in adjacent locations <br /> which can provide material for night paving jobs. These sites are much more efficient in that the <br />