Banging from construction of EV battery plant 'stressing out' Forest Glade residents

To drown out noise from the construction site of the new electric vehicle battery plant, Forest Glade resident Jerry Taylor turns on two radios in his house. 

But he says it often doesn't help. 

"Through the day I wind up leaving the house, because I just can't stand it anymore. I'm stressing out," Taylor said, adding that the ringing thud happens from about 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

He said it's been non-stop for the last two months. 

"When it's running, it's so annoying. And like I say after a while it's just like it's on your nerves, you think you hear it even in the middle of the night," he said. 

Taylor lives a few blocks away from where Stellantis and LG Energy Solution are building a $5-billion dollar electric vehicle battery plant. This also isn't the first complaint related to the construction of the plant. Residents in the area previously told CBC News about large and loud gravel trucks disrupting the neighbourhood. 

WATCH: Taylor shares a video of the noise and talks about its impact

Jerry Taylor says he think he hears the noise, even when it stops

2 years ago

Duration 0:24

According to Taylor, the banging from the construction site has been happening for the last two months and he's been told it's unlikely to stop any time soon.

The banging Taylor hears is from pile driving — it's when steel beams are hammered into the ground. Taylor said he's been told there's more than 1,000 beams that need to be installed. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for Stellantis said the companies are "reviewing and addressing" the construction concerns. 

"The noise is a direct outcome of the pre foundation work that needs to be completed before the structural steel is installed. We understand the inconvenience this may be causing our neighbours and will work with our construction partners to identify solutions to try to mitigate this issue," the statement reads.

According to Ward 7 councillor Angelo Marignani, this part of the construction process is expected to last until May or June of next year. 

As of Friday, Marignani told CBC News that he's received more than 25 complaints about the noise from residents who have said it's causing stress and anxiety. He said he can hear it himself and understands the frustration. 

"Some residents there's a sincere concern they have audio medical issues and as a result, it's almost maddening to hear this all throughout the day," he said, adding that there is about 48 bangs per minute. 

But he added that if people want to see jobs coming to Windsor, they need to cope with the construction. 

"With that growth, there is growing pains and these are the short-term pains for that long-term gain," he said. 

The company is also following the city's bylaw, which states that construction isn't permitted between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the City of Windsor said it empathizes with residents.

"However, to get a project of this magnitude completed there are some required activities that regrettably can cause short term inconveniences for some residents.  In the end, the result will be thousands of jobs for the community for years to come so we appreciate the on-going patience needed to get us there," reads the statement. 

Marignani said the city is looking at options to reduce the noise for nearby residents. 

Some strategies include:

• Building higher soil piles around the site to absorb the sound. 
• Change the schedule to do more at once and shorten the amount of time it will take to get this part of the project done. 

Taylor said he doesn't understand why the company hasn't taken all possible measures to reduce the noise.

"This is a huge company and this is a huge project and I'm surprised they don't have things in place already," he said.