Hear this: The cannery is too loud.
Noise generated from the San Benito Foods cannery greatly
exceeds city limits, according to decibel readings released by the
city Wednesday. At some locations, the readings measured noise
levels that could potentially cause permanent hearing damage.
The measurements, taken two weeks ago by Code Enforcement
Officer Tim Burns, showed levels in the nearby neighborhood ranging
from 69 decibels to 91 decibels.
Hear this: The cannery is too loud.
Noise generated from the San Benito Foods cannery greatly exceeds city limits, according to decibel readings released by the city Wednesday. At some locations, the readings measured noise levels that could potentially cause permanent hearing damage.
The measurements, taken two weeks ago by Code Enforcement Officer Tim Burns, showed levels in the nearby neighborhood ranging from 69 decibels to 91 decibels.
According to the city’s noise ordinance, levels in residential areas should not exceed 50 decibels during daylight hours and 55 decibels after sunset.
“They do need to work to find ways to bring levels of noise down – to where they’ve been in the past, when they were acceptable,” said Mayor Brian Conroy on Wednesday.
Burns took the measurements from five locations at three separate times on Aug. 14. He took the action because a Sally Street resident complained to the Code Enforcement Division in late July.
The city did not publicly release the readings until Wednesday because the matter was still under a legal investigation, Hollister officials said.
Officials met with cannery management Aug. 18, when Plant Manager Larry Pitts said San Benito Foods would try and reduce noise levels by the 2004 canning season.
Of the readings, the loudest location was at 874 East St. where a 90.8 decibel reading was measured. That is similar to the noise level of a lawnmower or motorcycle, according to a report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – although one that runs incessantly for 10-12 weeks.
Two other locations measured reached as high as 88 decibels, and another reached 87. Readings did not significantly vary according to the time of day.
The farthest measurement from San Benito Foods was taken on South Street about one-quarter mile from the cannery, Burns said. Its highest reading was 78 decibels.
City officials have expressed concern about the “quality of life” effect of continuous noise on residents. They have not, however, publicly considered potential health effects.
Any noises continuously higher than 90 decibels puts people at risk for permanent hearing loss, according to the CDC and San Benito County Health Officer Dr. Elizabeth Falade.
“It could possibly bring about a permanent shift in hearing,” she said of noise levels around 90 decibels. “I would definitely want those in charge to look into those issues.”
Exposure to high noise levels may also cause elevated blood pressure, fatigue, nervousness and tension, according to the CDC.
Regarding noise inside the processing plant, company management and employees have said the cannery maintains a strict policy on worker safety. The California Department of Industrial Health has inspected the cannery on three occasions in modern times, most recently in 1999. San Benito Foods was not cited.
The cannery was built in 1915 at the corner of Hawkins and Sally streets. San Benito Foods, a division of Neil Jones Food Companies, has owned the plant since 1977 and cans more than 100 tomato-related products. During the peak season, it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Many residents said the cannery existed before the neighborhoods surrounding it, so the noise should be tolerated by those who moved there. City officials have also said they were considering the cannery’s long-standing existence as a factor in any potential enforcement.
Some City Council members have also expressed sympathy for the cannery’s location, including Tony LoBue and Pauline Valdivia – both of whom worked at San Benito Foods for several years.
“The cannery’s been around for almost 100 years, it has been operating in that location,” said LoBue, who worked there for three consecutive summers. “The bottom line is they’ve been here for years and the houses have been built around them. Do we run businesses out of town because they’re beginning to feel the growing pains of Hollister?”
Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia said she worked at the cannery for 10 years. She stressed the company’s importance to the local economy. It employs 600 people during the peak season, but she said she preferred a compromise, if possible.
“If the company makes efforts to minimize the noise, that’s a step in the right direction,” she said.
According to Burns, the city has not completed its investigation of the noise levels.
“It’s still on my plate,” Burns said. And the cannery’s long-standing existence is “by no means” an excuse for excessive noise, he added.
“At this point, it’s kind of a waiting game,” Burns said.
