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Residents complain of smoke, continuous hammering at Sun Energy 1 site
Summary
Multiple residents told the Northampton County Board of Commissioners they have smelled smoke from debris burning and endured repeated loud hammering at a Sun Energy 1 construction site, and they urged the board to address nuisance noise and burning practices in upcoming ordinance work.
Two residents told the Northampton County Board of Commissioners that burning debris and round-the-clock construction activity at a Sun Energy 1 site are creating a nuisance and a health concern.
"They burn huge piles of debris with some of them almost half the height of this building. They don't extinguish them at night. They smolder, so we smell. If you smell it, you breathe it," Vincent (public commenter) said during the public-comment period.
Another resident, Chris Benson, said repeated, fast, "constant repetitive banging" from driving poles at the site disrupted family life and weekend rest. "Sunday morning at 06:00PM, there were still driving poles, hammering, hammering, hammering," Benson said, adding that his family's plans for a long-standing reunion may be affected.
Benson said he called 911 to complain about construction noise early in the morning and that a responding officer characterized the work as permissible under current county ordinances. "His statement was, aren't they working? And there's nothing in the ordinance that prohibits it. But if it was music, I could come out. And that it wasn't music, I'm not coming out," Benson said.
"Sun Energy 1 is getting away with murder because they have made a comment already saying the county can't do anything to stop them," Vincent said. Both speakers urged the board to include noise and burning controls in its pending ordinance work and to consider daytime and decibel limits for industrial construction activity.
Commissioners acknowledged the complaints during their remarks and said staff would look into whether the county has existing limits on hours, days or decibel levels for construction noise. One commissioner noted the county is reviewing solar and other development issues and said the board must be "more proactive" on recurring concerns such as solar operations, water and animal-tethering ordinances.
The board did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting; commissioners said they would examine regulations and follow up with staff on possible next steps.
