Sight

A 300-foot buffer of existing mature trees along Route 22 and the location of the plant in a valley reduces the visual impact of the site. In addition, CVEC co-located the three facility stacks to preserve the rural character of Dover.

Sound

During the environmental review and permitting process, CVEC completed noise level studies to ensure the plant would be at or below 50 decibels, the requirements of the DEC and the Dover Town Zoning Code. The 50-decibel level is comparable to the background noise of a typical office and sounds like a faint hum. Sound levels of 50-dB(A) will be met at all non-industrial property lines.

A decibel, or dB(A), is a degree of loudness: typical sound levels are shown in Figure 1.

Prior to the project starting construction, CVEC worked with the Town of Dover to finalize a noise mitigation plan which demonstrates how the site’s operations will be consistent with the Town of Dover Noise Code and other related State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requirements. This plan was reviewed and approved by the Town of Dover. During operations, CVEC complies with the Town Noise Ordinance at property boundaries, specifically 50-decibel at the property boundary and 65-decibel along the Metro North Rail.

The CVEC site was chosen, in part, for the wide tree buffer that provides a visual and sound barrier. In addition, the plant has been designed to enclose most of the equipment within an insulated and soundproof building structure, which helps mitigate noise levels.

Smell

There are no odors associated with the routine operations of natural gas-fueled power plants.