Monitoring says recycling noise level not over limit

Noise levels from the McNeilus recycling yard did not exceed state noise standards when they were monitored in July, Dodge Center Council members were told last week.
Residents living near the recycling yard have complained to the city in recent months that noise levels were excessive and in violation of state noise levels.
The city contracted with an independent firm to do a check of levels.
City Attorney Tim Woessner reported that HZ United of Plymouth monitored noise levels on July 11. They monitored for eight hours, in two four hour periods, he said, and although the levels came right up to the threshold, Woessner said, they did not exceed levels.
The monitoring, the company report said, was that during the time the monitoring equipment was set up there was no violation.
There were spikes in noise during the time frame that exceeded the level, the report said, but those spikes were not attributable directly to the recycling yard.
Other contributory factors, the report said, were a motorcycle that drove by, a car with a bad muffler that drove by the location four times and a dog that barked for five minutes.
The principal source of noise during the monitoring, the report said, was a crane at the recycling yard. It added that the noise on the day of monitoring did not include the loudest activities, a shredder, according to a resident of the neighborhood.
The report concluded that while no violations were recorded on the day of monitoring additional monitoring should be