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Noise Pollution Produced By Bates Troy Healthcare Linens in Binghamton, NY Is Harming Nearby Residents
We are Bates Troy Noisy Neighbor, a neighborhood organization of families concerned about the noise pollution produced by the Bates Troy Healthcare Linens dry-cleaning plant located at 151 Laurel Ave in Binghamton, NY 13905.
We are engaged in a campaign to bring attention to a negligent Zoning Board of Appeals decision which allowed an industrial dry-cleaning plant to expand into a high-density residential area.
Current Campaign Situation
After bringing substantial community pressure against Bates Troy's noise pollution, Bates Troy installed modifications to their dryer-exhaust ducts that reduce one of the noises. Unfortunately, the noise has been reduced partly by redirecting it in a new direction: away from the south and towards the north-east. Bates Troy has also changed the hours of operation of their tunnel washer to be 6AM to 6PM, Monday to Friday. They do, however, reserve the right to operate anytime they wish in the future, in case of an "emergency". They get to define emergency. The official position of Bates Troy is that they will do no further modifications to address our ongoing noise concerns.
The position of Bates Troy Noisy Neighbor is that Bates Troy can do more to decrease the noise. We intend to keep pushing until Bates Troy decreases the noise level to such a degree that it is no longer audible within homes more than 100 feet from their dry-cleaning plant.
Campaign Background
Bates Troy recently expanded their Healthcare Linen facility and installed a million dollar, industrial "tunnel washer". Ever since the installation of this tunnel washer, residents surrounding Bates Troy have noticed a whooshing, whirring, reverberating, humming and droning noise that began every weekday at 3:45AM and continued for twelve hours until the plant closed for the day around 5:00pm.
At first the noise was annoying and residents tried in vain to ignore it. But soon serious health problems began to arise in members of our neighborhood. Many of us are experiencing frequent headaches, ear pressure, anxiety and irratation. These are common, scientifically established negative effects of living near "low frequency noise".
When we asked a City of Binghamton Police Officer to listen to the noise from our lead organizer's backyard he described it as a "low bass". Sound scientists use the technical name of "low frequency noise" to describe this particular kind of noise pollution. We have come to learn through experience that "low frequency noise" is a particularly dangerous kind of noise because it is able to travel through windows and walls and into homes for several blocks away from the noise source. Therefore, residents have heard the noise several blocks away -- including on the other side of Recreation Park -- and one of our members has heard it on Hamilton Street, on the other side of Main St! Because of the surprising distance the noise travels, many Binghamton residents have heard the noise without realizing it was coming from the Bates Troy Dry Cleaners.
The negative health effects of the specific kind of noise Bates Troy is producing ("low frequency noise") are well established by modern science. In fact, in a recent study of people who lived with low frequency noise in their homes the following negative health effects were found: chronic fatigue (59%); heart ailments (81%); chronic insomnia (41%); repeated headaches (89%); ear, neck and back aches (70%); ear, eye and other pressure (55%); shortness of breath (58%); irritation, nerves, anxiety (93%); frustration, depression and indecision (85%) . The number in parentheses indicates the percentage of people who reported each health problem (source). In other words, nine out of ten people exposed to Bates Troy's low frequency noise will experience irritation, nerves, anxiety or repeated headaches!
We are a reasonable group of residents that just want our quiet, idyllic community back. We ask nothing more than that Bates Troy comply with the preexisting laws of the City of Binghamton. If Bates Troy continues to disregard the law, then we respectfully ask the City of Binghamton to enforce its laws by fining Bates Troy, revoking their special use permit and confiscating their noise pollution producing tunnel washer.
The simple fact is that Bates Troy is in violation of the City of Binghamton Noise Control Ordinance which states:
It is the public policy of the City that every person is entitled to ambient noise levels that are not detrimental to life, health and enjoyment of his or her property. It is hereby declared that the making, creation or maintenance of excessive or unreasonable noises within the City affects and is a menace to public health, comfort, convenience, safety, welfare and the prosperity of the people of the City.The City of Binghamton explicitly prohibits the noise levels that are produced by Bates Troy:
Prohibited acts: (11) Any excessive or unusually loud sound which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensibilities.We declare that Bates Troy produces "low frequency noise" that injures our health and deprives us of our peace and the enjoyment of our homes.
This is a passionate local issue that has united residents. This campaign will not stop until there has been a satisfactory resolution that involves community input and a sincere change of behavior on the part of Bates Troy.
Bates Troy Noisy Neighbor is an ad hoc organization of concerned families living around the barrage of noise produced by the Bates Troy Dry Cleaning Plant located at 151 Laurel Ave, Binghamton, NY 13905. We demand that Bates Troy comply with the laws of the City of Binghamton which state that it is illegal to produce noise that annoys residents. We may not have lawyers, money or high-ranking political allies. But we have something far more important: the truth is on our side.
"It is the public policy of the City that every person is entitled to ambient noise levels that are not detrimental to life, health, and enjoyment of his or her property."
-City of Binghamton Noise Control Ordinance