Philadelphia Section AIHA

October 2025 Virtual Technical Seminar

“Challenging Noise Issues: Nuisance Sounds from Unusual Sources”

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025: 12:00-2:00 PM

Virtual Seminar via Zoom

From new power generation technology to emerging recreational activities, noise can impact surrounding communities and residents and can present unique challenges to the EHS professional called on to measure those impacts.  As these issues become more prevalent, it is imperative that we be able to accurately assess the noise that they generate to assess compliance with local noise ordinances and assist in providing an accurate picture of their overall societal impact.  

Please plan to join us for this month's virtual technical session, where we will discuss some of the challenges, assessment tools, and tips for assessing these highly relevant issues.

AGENDA:

12:00 PM – 12:50 PM: “Evaluation of Wind Turbine-Related Noise in Western New York State” (Shannon Magari, ScD, MS, MPH and Clint Smith, MS, CIH, CSP: Colden Corporation)

12:50 PM – 1:00 PM: Q&A

1:00 PM – 1:40 PM: “Evaluating Community Noise Using Pickleball as a Case Study” (Dr. Joseph Cocciardi, PhD, MS, FAIHA, CIH, CSP, REHS/RS: Pennoni Associates)

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM: Q&A and Adjournment

PRESENTATIONS:

Evaluation of Wind Turbine-Related Noise in Western New York State:

Shannon Magari, ScD, MS, MPH and Clint Smith, MS, CIH, CSP (Colden Corporation)

Wind energy, with its increased popularity and the associated siting of turbines closer to populations, raises concerns about wind turbine noise. Low frequency sound (20-200 Hz) and infrasound (<20 Hz) were monitored in seven outdoor locations over four seasons in an active wind turbine park. In parallel, a questionnaire was administered to residents in the proximity of the wind project, and short-term sound measurements were collected at these residences to determine the nature of the association between the short-term measurements and questionnaire results, to determine if there was an association between measured noise and reported health effects.  

Shannon Magari, ScD, MS, MPH

As a Principal owner of Colden, Dr. Magari serves as the Vice President of Health Sciences and co-chair of the litigation support practice.  She aids clients in determining the origin and nature of workplace health concerns and provides litigation support in suspected cases of occupationally or environmentally induced illnesses.  Over the course of two decades, Dr. Magari has evaluated myriad industrial and nonindustrial settings and a wide range of occupational and environmental clusters involving reproductive, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illness.  

Dr. Magari holds a Doctor of Science in Environmental Health from Harvard University with a concentration in Occupational Epidemiology.  She also holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Boston University, a Master of Science in Engineering Science from Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from Syracuse University.  She currently serves as the President of the Northeast Biological Safety Association.

Clint Smith, MS, CIH, CSP

As a CIH and CSP with Colden Corporation, Clint Smith provides industrial hygiene and safety assessments, indoor environmental quality surveys, and environmental health compliance evaluations and recommendations for a wide range of industrial and nonindustrial clients.  

Clint has extensive experience in the evaluation and control of industrial and community noise, managing hundreds of occupational exposure assessments coast-to-coast for over 50 manufacturing facilities.  As part of these exposure assessments, Clint performs noise control solution assessments to evaluate and prioritize noise sources contributing to exposure in the workplace as well as the community.  Interesting projects have included long term work zone and perimeter monitoring around wind turbine fields, event centers, power generation plants, and active manufacturing facilities. 

He holds a Master of Science from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, where he concentrated in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (OEH).  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and policy from Clarkson University.

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Evaluating Community Noise Using Pickleball as a Case Study:

Dr. Joseph Cocciardi, PhD, MS, FAIHA, CIH, CSP, REHS/RS (Pennoni Associates)

This presentation will discuss community noise, specifically pickleball; challenges in measuring impulsive versus continuous sound; and presentation of relevant case studies.

Dr. Joseph Cocciardi

Dr. Joseph Cocciardi is a Senior Health and Safety Professional with Pennoni Associates. He has spent more than 35 years in the fields of public safety and public, occupational, and environmental health.  

An emergency responder himself, he formerly developed and managed the Emergency Response Program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's largest state agency.  Dr. Cocciardi is an internationally published author and has developed health and safety plans for most national and international events of consequence since 2001.  He has been qualified and testified as both an expert witness and a litigative consultant.  

Dr. Cocciardi holds the CSP and CIH designations and is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian.  He is a member and/or Chair of more than a dozen international Health and Safety Committees.

SEMINAR REGISTRATION:

Participation in this virtual seminar is free, but pre-registration via Zoom is REQUIRED.

To pre-register, please use the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/w0Sc8FIWR6mVODTppox_SQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom containing information about joining the meeting. Please keep an eye out for this email, as you will need the link provided in that email to join the technical seminar. An option will be provided in the email to allow you to add the seminar to your calendar, which will also save your access link.

We hope that you will be able to join us.