(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit to be operated in connection with the drilling, completing, equipping, or abandoning of a well any engine, compressor or motor-driven machinery of any type which creates a sound level greater than 72 dB(a) when measured at a distance of 300 feet from the engine or measured immediately adjacent to any inhabited building not used in the drilling operation and located within the 300 foot distance; provided, however, a maximum sound level of 80 dB(a) shall apply to fracing operations in connection with a well, and such fracing operations shall be conducted only during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit to be operated in connection with the operation of a producing well any engine, compressor or motor-driven machinery of any type which creates a sound level greater than 65 dB(a) when measured at a distance of 300 feet from the engine or measured immediately adjacent to any inhabited building located within the 300 foot distance.
(c) Motor power for all operations after completion of drilling operations shall be by electricity or properly muffled gas or diesel engines. The muffler shall be approved by the oil and gas inspector prior to use; provided, however, that specialty mufflers may be required by the oil and gas inspector, such as hospital zone mufflers, or the engines may be so designed or configured on the site to further attenuate anticipated noise problems during operation of the well.
(d) Sound level measurements shall be made with a sound level meter conforming as a minimum to the requirements of American National Standards Institute S1.4-1971 Type 2 or its successor publication and set to an A-weighted response.
(Ord. No. 2272, § 1, 1-26-93)