ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: August 22, 2002
Author/Local:D.Glenn/714-5665

RTS No. 02851
CC File: 3755/113
P&E: September 12, 2002

TO:	Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM:	Director of Environmental Health
SUBJECT:	Noise By-law - Miscellaneous Amendment (Hours for Testing Emergency Generators)

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the Noise Control By-law (Section #8c) be amended to provide an exemption from Sections 3, 5, 6, 6a and 7 of that By-law to allow for the lawful testing of emergency generators once a month for 60 minutes during the daytime plus once a year for a maximum of 180 minutes during the daytime.

B. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare a Noise

Control By-law amending by-law, to reflect the changes contemplated by this report, for consideration by Council.

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

The Vancouver Noise Control By-law (Section 8c) currently allows an exemption from Sections 3, 5, 6, 6a and 7 of that By-law for the lawful testing of emergency generators once a week during the daytime, and for a maximum of 30 minutes.

PURPOSE

This report seeks to harmonise the Noise Control By-law with the BC Fire Code and the City of Vancouver Fire By-law.

BACKGROUND

The BC Fire Code and the City of Vancouver Fire By-law require that Fire Protection Systems be inspected, tested and maintained according to Canadian Standards Association standard # CAN/CSA C282-M89. This standard has recently changed the requirements for testing of Emergency Generators. These generators are now required to be tested once a month for 60 minutes plus once a year for a two-hour load test. In practice this two hour load test frequently will take up to 3 hours due to run-up requirements. The proposed amendment allows for this.

The original section of By-law #6555 was intended to provide an exemption for testing of emergency equipment. This change to the By-law is more or less housekeeping in nature and is intended to make it coincide with the City of Vancouver Fire By-law.

Running the generators on a monthly basis for sixty minutes would lessen the impact of noise on communities, since testing weekly involved twice the amount of total running time over a month.

DISCUSSION

Section 8. (c) should be reworded from:

8. "Sections 3, 5, 6, 6A and 7 of this By-law shall not apply to noise or sound created:
(c) as a consequence of the lawful testing of an emergency generator provided that it is not operated more than once a week during the daytime, and for a maximum of 30 minutes, and its continuous sound level does not exceed a rating of 80 on an approved sound meter when measured at the point of reception or at least 6.1 metres from its source, whichever is the greater.

To read:

8. "Sections 3, 5, 6, 6A and 7 of this By-law shall not apply to noise or sound created:
(c) as a consequence of the lawful testing of an emergency generator provided that it is not operated more than once a month during the daytime, and for a maximum of 60 minutes, plus once a year for a maximum of 180 minutes and its continuous sound level does not exceed a rating of 80 on an approved sound meter when measured at the point of reception or at least 6.1 metres from its source, whichever is the greater.

CONCLUSION

The proposed amendments will harmonise the Noise Control By-law with the Fire By-law.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver