Archaea Canton Renewables

Challenge

Archaea Energy operates a renewable natural gas (RNG) processing facility in Canton, Michigan that converts landfill gas into pipeline-quality fuel. The facility's gas compression and processing equipment generates significant noise, and the site is located near residential properties governed by a local noise ordinance with a 70 dBA property line limit.

The challenge was twofold: the facility needed to comply with the community noise ordinance at all property boundaries, and any acoustic solution had to account for the outdoor industrial environment, weather exposure, and the directional characteristics of the noise sources. Simply adding generic barriers would not be sufficient. The solution required engineering analysis to determine the correct barrier height, length, placement, and material specification to achieve measurable compliance.

Solution

Memtech Acoustics performed a comprehensive environmental noise assessment, including source characterization of the compression and processing equipment, ambient noise measurements at the property boundaries, and predictive noise modeling to evaluate barrier configurations.

Based on the analysis, Memtech designed and specified a two-sided outdoor acoustic barrier system: 90 panels along the north property line and 76 panels along the west property line. The barrier panels were selected for their outdoor durability, sound transmission loss properties, and weather resistance. Panel height, setback distance, and overlap geometry were all engineered to the specific source-path-receiver conditions of the site.

Memtech coordinated permitting documentation, barrier fabrication, and installation logistics. The project required close coordination with facility operations to maintain processing uptime during construction.

Results

Post-installation verification testing confirmed that noise levels at all property boundaries fell below the 70 dBA ordinance limit. The barrier system achieved the predicted insertion loss values, validating the acoustic model used during design. The facility maintained full operational capacity throughout the installation, and the acoustic solution resolved the community noise exposure without requiring operational restrictions or equipment modifications. Archaea Energy achieved regulatory compliance and eliminated the risk of noise-related enforcement actions.