The Connecticut city’s commissioner of human services has heard the noise loud and clear.
He’s lived in West Haven for 50 years and said he knows that, historically, there is always noise from industrial areas.
And John Carrano not only lives in the city he serves, he also lives not far from an industrial zone in that shoreline city.
So, yes, he’s heard the noise and also has on many occasions taken sound readings at spots around the zone, in the city’s Heffernan Drive area. The area also is not far from Interstate 95 or the Metro North Railroad tracks that run through the city.
The city has been reviewing the noise issue for more than a year.
Now, Carrano, who came to work for the city about a year ago, is working, with other city officials, to determine the source of a “humming” noise that is causing problems for city residents who hear it.
The effort and residents’ concern have spread, even drawing a segment on the “Today” show.
Carrano said the city has had experience with noise emanating from businesses in the past, citing an example of one local company that had a faulty bearing in a fan, and that noise dissipated when the bearing was fixed.
Carrano now is working on a contract to secure a noise analysis to determine the source of the “humming” noise. “This sound of this is a constant hum,” he said. “Almost like a vacuum cleaner in the distance.”
The decision to do a noise analysis came after a meeting during which residents shared their concerns about the noise, he said. Among concerns expressed are that it causes people to lose sleep, which can impact mental health, he said. Lack of foliage on the trees likely makes it worse, he said.
“We understand this is a quality of life [matter],” he said. ”We hope to improve that quality of life for residents.”
He said “a constant low hum … is emanating into the residential zone.”
“I hear it clear as day,” he said.
As low frequency sounds “are more of vibration,” that also “could be what people are feeling,” Carrano said, noting that “once you lock in on…sound you don’t unhear it.”
Mayor Dorinda Borer said, “while this is not impacting all neighborhoods, there are many residents in our community being adversely impacted and it’s important we continue to work to confirm the source for their quality of life.
“After almost a year of testing and making fairly good assumptions regarding the source, we have now reached our capacity for this type of testing and that is why our next step is to have a certified acoustic engineer to assist with the official readings needed to legally address the the issue,” Borer said.
Carrano, citing state law about noise, said industrial zone are allowed up to 70 decibels and if emanates into residential zone they are allowed up to 51 decibels in the evening. The city statute mirrors the state law.
After taking hundreds of readings, none were found to exceed the 70 decibels allowed, he said.
“We were up and down the entire industrial area,” Carrano said, of doing readings, adding that, as he lives in the area, “it made testing and gathering the data a bit more real time,” and a “unique opportunity” to gather data.
However, Carrano said the law also covers the occurrence of a “prominent and discreet tone” that is identifiable and stands “out from the background noise.” In that case, the decibel limit is 65, or 46, if it is a residential area in the evening, he said.
To determine if that is occurring, “we need a professional analysis to say it is, and is it over or under,” Carrano said. The West Haven City Council approved spending $16,000 for the analysis, he said.
Carrano also noted that sound “is all about the individual” as “low frequency impacts your eardrum in very different ways.”
Kimberly Nunes, a city resident who thanked officials for the analysis at a recent hearing, said the noise causes disruption, stress, and a “decline in our overall well-being.” She said it even impacts her pets. A petition that was created did not target any specific business, she said.
“Everyone deserves to have peace in their homes.” she said.
Other residents echoed the concern, some noting it is “intolerable” and one noting she could hear it in “every room in the house.” Another resident described it as sounding like a shop vacuum being used outside his bedroom all night and another said she considered sleeping in her car elsewhere to escape the noise.
Carrano said West Haven consulted with the state and with Bristol on the noise issue, as that city has dealt with industrial sounds.
Residents and homeowners in Bristol have had a campaign to stop low-frequency noises from the Reworld trash incinerator. Most recently the invited inviting city officials to visit their homes and hear the sound for themselves.
About Bristol, some homeowners as far as Plainville and Southington say they also are disturbed by the sound and have spent the last year and a half pushing their local governments to act. But because the plant is in Bristol, neighboring towns have no authority.
Carrano said he not aware of any city in the state that has “a sound expert on hand” so that received a recommendation on acoustical firm, choosing Acoustic Technology LLC.
“They’re going to come in and do they are going to have a… multi position acoustic test,” Carrano said.
Carrano noted it is a good time of year for such sounds tests, as there can be other sounds “just in the environment,” but at this point, there is no foliage nor a source of noise at other times of the years: crickets.
He said the timing of the test will depend on “getting a purchase order” as well as weather. The wind can’t be over 10 mph and it can’t be raining, which both create noise, he said.
Carrano said that once it gets started, test take about a week and then it is about 30 days for the analysis to be done.
Previous reporting by Don Stacom is included in this story.
