People complain about noise from the Gerresheimer plant. Night-time measurement showed a significant exceedance of standards

Residents of Polej and Staroszkolna streets in Bolesławiec are sounding the alarm – at night, they cannot sleep because of the constant, monotonous noise coming from the Gerresheimer plant (formerly Polfa) on Chrobrego Street. The sound resembles the whine of a running turbine, and its intensity – they say – depends on the wind direction and the equipment operating at a given moment.

“At night, it is simply one constant whine. We have to close the windows so we can fall asleep at all. The worst is the turbine’s whistle, monotonous and shrill. And this is not a one-off matter, but a problem that has been building for years,” says one resident.

The editorial team carried out independent night-time noise measurements at residents’ windows. The results are alarming:

• At one location, 58.4 dB,
• At another – 54.8 dB.

Meanwhile, the permissible night-time noise standard for residential areas is 45 dB. This means that in the first case, the standard was exceeded by more than 13 decibels, which – let us recall – means a more than twofold higher noise level, because the decibel scale is logarithmic (every additional 10 dB is perceived as a sound twice as loud).

“For five years, it has been getting worse and worse. It used to be more muffled; now it is simply unbearable. A friend who lives opposite does not open her windows at all. She says she cannot cope,” adds another interviewee.

According to residents, the plant has been informed about the nuisance. “I reported it several times. They switched it off for a day or two, and then it was the same again. They know about it, but nothing changes,” we hear.

For some, the noise problem is also connected with health issues. “I have tinnitus because of an occupational illness, and this only makes matters worse. It is simply unbearable,” says one resident.

We contacted representatives of Gerresheimer and asked for a comment. We are awaiting a response.

Residents can refer the matter to the district governor’s office. Officials will commission a noise measurement and will probably issue a decision requiring the equipment to be adjusted to meet the standards or switched off. A similar situation occurred in the case of the church bells on Jana Pawła II Street in Bolesławiec. Thanks to the istotne.pl editorial team, there has been peace and quiet for several years.