USA: Cupertino plant under pressure to reduce noise

The Lehigh Southwest Cupertino cement plant was noise tested for 25 days in October and only recorded one day with higher readings than expected.

The results were shared during a city council meeting on 24 Jan. City staff presented the council with findings from a city noise monitoring study that was done continuously 3-28 Oct 2016, at two residential locations near the facility in California.

The results did not sway many residents in attendance at the meeting, many of whom said more needs to be done to curtail noise. Residents living near the facility and several miles away complain that the noise is disrupting their sleep and their well-being.

After much discussion about possible avenues the council could explore to press the county and the cement facility to address the noise issue, the council eventually decided to have Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan send a letter to the county board of supervisors asking that more effort be placed on diminishing or eliminating the noise.

The cement facility is under the jurisdiction of Santa Clara County as it is located outside Cupertino’s city limits.

Councilman Darcy Paul suggested crafting a new city noise ordinance, but city manager David Brandt said it wouldn’t affect the Lehigh facility due to being outside Cupertino’s jurisdiction.

So far, the city of Cupertino has spent almost US$15,000 on noise monitoring equipment to try and prove the facility is in violation.