Hundreds of residents of Deveaux and the North End neighborhoods in Niagara Falls were up in arms Tuesday night over an unbearable humming coming from the Tulip Corporation at 3125 Highland Avenue. The humming sounded like a jet engine, and could be described as a horrible metal-on-metal sound. I was one of those residents, sitting in my living room INSIDE of my house, unable to escape from this noise pollution. I called the non-emergency NFPD complaint number and the operator was clearly distraught. Before I could finish my sentence, she asked if I was “calling about the extremely loud noise that everyone else in Deveaux was calling about?!” That says a lot.
This noise is so loud and unbearable, it woke up my baby. This is not the first time. Nor is it the hundredth time. The noise is common on warm summer nights when it would be nice to have our windows open to let in a breeze. Only we can’t without being subjected to a form of psychological torture.
Right now, there is an ongoing legal dispute between the city of Niagara Falls and U.S. Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency mining facility on Buffalo Avenue. Supreme Court Justice Frank Sedita III issued a temporary restraining order, directing U.S. Bitcoin to stop all operations by January 31st or be fined $10,000 per day. After January 31st, if U.S. Bitcoin hasn’t complied, they will be fined $25,000 per day until the case is settled.
This ruling is in accordance with the new zoning ordinance governing high energy use industries in the city of Niagara Falls. Tulip Corporation at 3125 Highland Avenue is clearly in violation of this new zoning ordinance. Hence, Tulip should be given the exact same ultimatum by the city of Niagara Falls that was given to U.S. Bitcoin. This ultimatum should be given immediately.
We, as residents of the Niagara Falls, should continue to monitor these types of disturbances to assure that our local administration is acting swiftly on our behalf.
Why do we have noise ordinances if corporations aren’t going to follow them? I’m happy to see some punishment dished out to U.S. Bitcoin, but until Tulip is given the same treatment, I won’t be able to rest peacefully. We have to take these disturbances seriously, otherwise we will allow a precedent for new corporations to violate such ordinances and infiltrate our homes, and our peace of mind, with these horrific noises.
If their daily profits exceed the daily fines, then we should increase the fines until they can no longer operate. Otherwise, perhaps the public may have to take matters into their own hands. No one should be forced to live like this.
I am reminded of the digital campus that NFR is attempting to build on their property downtown near the casino. At least they have taken us residents into consideration by offering “low noise” as a result of their operations.