Ethanol Processing Facility, Alymer, Ontario /
Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative

situation:

Integrated Grain Processors Corporative (IGPC) built a new ethanol processing facility in Aylmer. The new facility required a Ministry of the Environment (MOE) Acoustic Assessment Report before they could start operating.

assessment:

IGPC contracted North America Construction (NAC) to build a dry mill fuel-grade ethanol plant with a capacity of 40 million gallons per year. Aercoustics worked with NAC to ensure the plant would meet noise limits as low as 40 dBA as there were residential properties and farms within a kilometre of the facility.

solution:

Aercoustics visited other ethanol plants to quantify the noise emissions of similar operations. With this data, we developed a database of the noise sources. Once these were quantified, we developed a preliminary acoustic computer model to determine the necessary layout of equipment and the proposed construction. This meant providing wall construction recommendations, silencer recommendations and other mitigation solutions.

After the construction, Aercoustics conducted follow-up testing to confirm that the noise limits were met.

results:

There were 13 noise receptors within 1 kilometer of the site. During the initial design, the goal was to ensure that noise levels at all the receptors started out below the MOE noise limits before the plant went up. Follow-up testing conducted after construction showed that every receptor was below the MOE limit. We then provided a report for the MOE documenting the noise levels and showing that the plant was in compliance with all noise regulations.