Locals frustrated with generator hum coming from U.S. warship stuck in Montreal

The Port of Montreal is trying to deal with noise complaints from local condo dwellers frustrated with the hum of generators powering a U.S. warship unexpectedly stuck here since December because of ice.

Some of those living near where the USS Little Rock is docked say they are having a hard time with the constant noise.

Local resident Alain Stanke said it sounds like rumbling trucks and can be heard all day and night.

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“It’s like the motor of a large truck that’s driving at a high speed,” Stanke said, adding that soundproofing hasn’t worked as hoped.

“Those two generators are detestable.”

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With the ship stuck in Montreal until the ice dissipates, Stanke wondered if the vessel could be moved a few hundred metres away to spare locals.

Port spokeswoman Melanie Nadeau said the location where the U.S. ship has been since Jan. 19 was chosen with safety and security in mind because the current is less strong.

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Nadeau said ship and port officials alike have employed certain measures and others are being considered.

Lights illuminating the ship have been dimmed and adjustments were made in February to a soundproofing, acoustic barrier wall surrounding the generators, she wrote in an email.

“We continue to work to put in place other mitigation measures to ensure a healthy coexistence with the port’s neighbours,” she wrote.

The ship has been stuck in Montreal since Christmas Eve, just a few weeks after being commissioned in Buffalo, N.Y.

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It was headed to Florida when icy conditions forced the US$440-million ship to stay in Quebec.

A contingent of sailors who have continued training recently even volunteered at a local food bank.

The Canadian Coast Guard will be involved in ensuring the safe departure of the vessel when the Saint Lawrence Seaway clears, likely within a few weeks, Nadeau wrote.