Residents urge city action as loud generators at Yankee Trace disrupt homes

Centerville residents told the City Council on May 5 that backup generators at a power station near Yankee Trace are producing persistent, loud noise that is disrupting sleep, outdoor activity and, they said, residents’ health.

At a citizen comment period, Melissa Lever, a Heritage Lake Drive resident, said the generators “are producing sound levels exceeding 70 or even 80 decibels comparable to a jet engine,” and that the noise can run for “hours, days and nights often without warning.” She asked the city to pursue regulations or other remedies.

Kate (last name not provided), a Heritage Lake Drive resident who said her son is medically sensitive to noise, told the council the sound “exceeds the 55 decibel allowance that the city zoning is tolerable of,” and that readings in neighbors’ homes had reached the 70s and 80s. Megan Roushey, of 9736 Dinwiddie Court in Yankee Trace, said the noise can mask emergency warnings: “When they’re running, if you are outside and storms were coming in, you can’t differentiate from the generator and a tornado siren.”

City staff and council members described steps already taken and next actions. A city staff member said the city had met with Rockland Capital, the plant operator, which supplied data on the frequency of generator starts, and that Rockland engaged an outside consultant, SVI (a sound‑quality engineering firm), to produce a mitigation study expected in mid‑May. The staff member told the council that Rockland said the state and local governments have “no jurisdiction” over some operational decisions, and that the city had contacted federal and state offices; staff said Puerto/Turner’s office and other congressional staff had been engaged and that FERC, EPA and PJM had been contacted in prior inquiries.

Council members and staff urged residents to share contact information so the city can respond quickly when events occur, and said the city will continue to press the operator for mitigation. Mayor Compton said the issue “definitely is on our plate to deal with” and encouraged residents to call when the generators run so officials can observe the noise.

Planning and technical details raised during the discussion included residents’ reports of measured noise in the 70–80 dB range, multiple nearby homes reporting night and daytime disturbance, and accounts that the generators sometimes run for many hours (residents said they had seen runs from early evening into the next morning). City staff told the council Rockland reported a recent period in which the plant ran for 19 hours in response to grid instructions and, during that event, incurred large costs, a detail staff relayed while explaining why operators sometimes run the units.

No formal city regulatory action was taken at the May 5 meeting. Council members said they will continue to pursue engagement with Rockland Capital and federal and state contacts, track the SVI consultant’s recommendations, and maintain an updated FAQ and email list for affected residents.

Background: residents said the plant sits on Washington Township property near Yankee Trace and that the timing and authority for mitigation are complicated because operators cite federal and regional grid rules. Rockland Capital’s consultant study and the return of other plants to service in May were described by staff as factors that could reduce reliance on the local plant and, therefore, reduce runs and noise in the near term.

The council asked staff to keep the item on their agenda until the study’s recommendations and any mitigation steps are implemented.