Monitor boundary noise and buffer zone soil at Windsor

What is going on

Council is reviewing the Windsor development consent and has requested boundary noise measurements during a normal windrow turning session and soil samples from the buffer zone downwind of the composting pads. The consent sets noise limits at three boundary points and the soil guideline values apply to the buffer zone. Bronwyn Tate has confirmed turning of windrows 26-090 and 26-091 on Thursday from 7:00 am. The sound level meter needs a calibration check with the acoustic calibrator before and after use. Ngaire Patterson wants a monitoring plan before the visit and a short report presenting the results against the limits, with a site map of the monitoring points.

Your brief

Prepare a monitoring plan, measure noise at the three boundary points during a normal turning session with correct meter calibration and weather records, collect soil samples in the buffer zone to the plan, process and present the data against the consent limits and guideline values and produce a short report with a site map.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the water and soil sampling procedure, the noise monitoring work instruction and the Windsor consent conditions in the legal obligations register, and confirm the turning session with Bronwyn Tate.
• Prepare a monitoring plan with the three boundary points, the soil sampling locations and depths, the equipment, the weather requirements and the safety controls for working near loaders.
• Calibrate the sound level meter with the acoustic calibrator before and after the session and record both checks, the weather and the background noise measured before turning starts.
• Measure noise at each boundary point during turning for the periods in the work instruction, noting other noise sources such as traffic and birds.
• Collect soil samples at the planned locations and depths with decontaminated tools, label and preserve them and complete the chain of custody.
• Enter the noise results and the soil samples in the sample and monitoring register and check the noise results against the consent limits.
• Produce a site map showing the monitoring points and prepare a short report with the results, the comparison with limits and any recommendation.

What someone in this role would produce

• Monitoring plan
• Noise measurement records with calibration and weather
• Chain of custody for soil samples
• Register entries
• Short report with site map