This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — Residents in a Ferguson Township neighborhood say weeks of constant generator noise from a nearby facility have disrupted daily life, raising concerns about health, enforcement and communication between township officials and a major employer.
Dave Kraige, president of the Greenleaf Manor Homeowners Association, said the issue began in late February when GE HealthCare, located at 401 Science Park Road, started running a generator continuously as part of an ongoing project.
“An extremely loud generator 24 hours a day [has created] an unacceptable level of noise which can be heard from over half a mile away,” Kraige wrote in an email to The Centre County Gazette, adding that the sound and vibration have affected “hundreds of homes.”
Kraige said residents have struggled to sleep, work and carry out daily routines.
“Houses in the area are subject to excessive sound and vibration at all hours, making sleep, work and enjoyment of everyday life extremely difficult,” he said.
Some residents, he said, have resorted to earplugs or white noise machines, while others have changed sleeping arrangements inside their homes. He also raised safety concerns, noting that residents using noise-blocking devices may not hear alarms or disturbances.
“This is a serious health concern for residents,” Kraige said, citing what he described as well-documented impacts of prolonged noise exposure on physical and mental health.
Kraige also criticized what he described as shifting timelines and a lack of resolution.
“We have been strung along multiple times with false dates being dangled in front of us,” he said, pointing to several projected completion dates that passed without the generator being shut down.
He further questioned whether the township is adequately enforcing its own noise ordinance.
“The Township seems content to ignore all of the above and give a company free reign to continue making noise indefinitely,” Kraige said.
Ferguson Township Interim Manager Tom King said the situation may soon be resolved, pending completion of work and inspection.
“GE HealthCare expects to have all their contractor work completed [March 24] and Centre Region Code Agency is scheduled to conduct an inspection of the work on [March 25],” King said in an emailed statement. “Once the work passes inspection … West Penn Power [will restore] the power to the facility. Once the power is restored, the generator will be shut off.”
King said the township had not yet conducted sound measurements but has secured a contractor to perform decibel readings at multiple locations between the facility and nearby homes.
“The township has identified a company who conducts sound readings and they recently agreed to conduct decibel meter readings of the generator noise,” he said.
Township officials are also reviewing how the local noise ordinance applies in this situation.
“The township is in the process of reviewing the existing noise ordinance with the township solicitor to determine applicability,” King said.
He added that GE HealthCare previously operated under a noise waiver permit from March 5 through March 13 but is not currently operating under any exemption.
If the project is completed and power is restored, King said the generator would be used only during emergencies or limited daytime testing.
“GE HealthCare has advised the generator will only be used in an emergency … and once or twice per month for a short time during the day to test the emergency generator,” he said.
Kraige, however, expressed concern that the issue could persist beyond the current project.
“Any time there is a power outage, or any time GE wants to run the generator … residents will be plunged back into torturous noise,” he said.
A spokesman from GE HealthCare replied to The Centre County Gazette via email by stating, “GE HealthCare is committed to the State College community and the patients and providers around the world who rely on our life-saving medical technologies every day. We understand the concerns raised by our neighbors and appreciate their patience as this important infrastructure work continues temporarily.”
“While temporary impacts like increased noise are not taken lightly, they are part of a broader investment in long-term, sustainable improvements for providers and patients who depend on us. We remain committed to working closely with local stakeholders to minimize disruption.”
When asked about when the project would be completed, the GE HealthCare spokesperson did not offer further comment publicly.
