Night-time noises from Mittal Steel are waking up neighbors on Independence Rd. and Beyerle Rd. Neighbors describe these noises as loud roaring sounds similar to a jet engine airplane. Noise can cause higher blood pressure, digestive problems, frequent headaches, general fatigue, susceptibility to minor accidents, and diseases such as colds and influenza. Please report night-time noises from Mittal Steel to Liz Ilg at (216) 861-5200 or lilg@ohiocitizen.org, or click here to fill out a pollution log.

Testimonials from neighbors of Mittal Steel
May 21: "On Saturday night after 11 pm I heard screeching sounds and saw black smoke coming from Mittal Steel"


shush CLEVELAND -- "On Saturday night after 11 pm I heard screeching sounds and saw black smoke coming from Mittal Steel.  This happened five or six times in a row, where the plant would make a loud noise and then you would see the black smoke after.  It was dark outside but you could still see the black smoke.  When I called Mittal down at the gate, I asked the guard who answered what was going on.  She put me on hold and when she came back to the call she said that the sergeant on duty told her to tell me to only call the good neighbor hotline to complain about noise and black smoke.  The seargant said not to call them directly at Mittal Steel anymore.  She said they would get back to me from the good neighbor hotline on the next business day.  I told her that I want to know what is going on at the plant now and not on the next business day.  I told her to have the sergeant call me back that night and tell me what was going on.  He never called me back.  On Monday I called and left a message for Tom Krizman.  I told him it's ridiculous for them to tell me to only call the good neighbor line.  Tom Krizman has not called me back.  All day Sunday and Monday we heard noise from Mittal as well.  The company is working day and night now with noise, not just at night.  Different days have different noises.  Sometimes it's like an air compressor and sometimes it's like a jet engine sound," Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.
Apr 18: Ten out of twelve noise readings are above 85 decibels, the level at which hearing damage can begin

noise monitor CLEVELAND -- "Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Road and leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group, has been taking notes on the noise levels in her backyard from Mittal Steel. The average person cannot sleep if subjected to 45 decibels of noise, according to the Columbia Encyclopedia. 'At 120 decibels the ear registers pain, but hearing damage begins at a much lower level, about 85 decibels.' The following log shows readings starting at 72 decibels.  All of the following readings are taken at night or early morning hours.  Eleven out of twelve of these noise readings are above 85 decibels, the level at which hearing damage can begin," Liz Ilg, Cleveland Area Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

decibels chart

Apr 9: Mittal Steel: "I wouldn't mind if the noise was during the day so I could get a decent night's sleep."

sleep CLEVELAND -- "I called Tom Krizman yesterday morning because Sunday night and Monday night the noise was so loud from Mittal Steel I didn't get any sleep.  My temper has been outrageous these last couple of days.  I asked him what they're doing differently at night.  It's so quiet here right now, during the day.  Come 11 pm it's so loud you can't hear yourself think.  I told him I'm so sick of the way they're treating us and not getting any sleep.  Just because they're a big company and have so much money.  Every time I call in they either don't return my call or when they do they tell me the same thing every time.  I told him that it's every night.  Maybe there are two nights out of the week that are quiet.  Tom said he would see what was going on Monday night.  I said, let me guess, you'll look into it and call me back.  So I hung up on him.  I don't know what else to do. Why should I have to waste my time and energy to call down there every night and hear the same thing but no action? It's quiet in our neighborhood during the day, and then they have to release their valves at all hours of the night from midnight until 7 in the morning. I live here and they're supposed to be a good neighbor to us and they're not. I can't get a good night's sleep around here. I told Mr. Krizman he should put a trailer next to my house and try to sleep through the night. He said that he gets off work at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I wouldn't mind if the noise was during the day so I could get a decent night's sleep," Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Rd., leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.


Mar 28: Mittal Steel: "We were up until four in the morning because of this noise."

Donna is tired
Donna Levandowski
CLEVELAND -- "At midnight on Thursday night [March 27] Mittal started working behind my house. They started running trucks and it kept us up all night.  They're emptying something out of their trucks. You can hear when they give it gas to lift the back of the truck high up into the air to dump the materials. When it's completely in the air they give it gas a couple of times to make sure they've dumped everything out. This is when you can hear the metal bouncing back and forth. This noise echoes real loud keeping us up. I didn't call Mittal security because I know they'd tell me that they have to look into it. We were up until four in the morning because of this noise. Mittal Steel has control over their trucks. They don't have to be doing this at night. The company will tell me that it's just the trucks parking at the end of the night, but you can tell the difference between parking a truck and running a truck to work. I think the blast furnace is running again because all this noise was gone when the furnace was down for repairs," Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.


Mar 27: Mittal Steel: "I'm tired of the noise. We have a family to raise here."

more Mittal noise CLEVELAND -- "Last night about 12:12 am the jet engine airplane noise from Mittal Steel went off again. This is the worst I have ever heard it. I called Mittal's security but the woman I spoke with would not put me through to Seargent Pallister to speak with him about this. The noise is ridiculous. Why can't they get this noise under control? Tom Krizman called me back this afternoon. He told me that they had a power outage at the main terminal. I told him that I'm tired of the noise. We have a family to raise here. He said it would be helpful if I could give him a time. I told him 12:12 am. I told him i'm tired of the noise disrupting our sleep. I didn't go to bed until 3:30 am. It sounded like there was an airplane in our backyard. Turning the TV up didn't help. Calling the company doesn't help either. They either don't call you back or when they do they don't do anything about it. When I do talk with them I'm so ticked off. Why do the neighbors have to suffer all the time? I woke up and thought to myself that it was a really low airplane flying past. My son Jimmy said, 'Mom that's not an airplane.' He knows and he's only four years old. I waited for ten minutes but the noise was still going on, and so I had to call down to the mill," Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Rd., leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

CLEVELAND -- February 5 letter to Terry Fedor regarding night-time noise, Liz Ilg, Cleveland Area Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

CLEVELAND -- Mittal response, letter to Liz Ilg from Mary Beth Holdford, public relations, ArcelorMittal.

Feb 1: Mittal Steel: "I heard five booms Wednesday night starting at 9:23 pm, 10:07 pm, 10:17 pm, 10:23 pm, and then 10:34 pm." 

headache CLEVELAND -- "I had a bad migraine Wednesday night [January 30] and my daughter came into my room when she started hearing the booms.  I heard five booms starting at 9:23 pm, 10:07 pm, 10:17 pm, 10:23 pm, and then 10:34 pm.  I called the security guard at Mittal and they said they were done with the explosions last week.  He said, as always, that they would look into it.  I told the security guard that my head was pounding and that I was hoping it wouldn't be another night of noise.  I took my migraine medicine and fell asleep around 11:30 pm," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.


Jan 24: Mittal Steel: "There were explosions at 12:10 am, 12:24 am, 3:12 am, 4:30 am, and 6:58 am."

CLEVELAND -- "Mittal Steel was exploding again all night last night. There were explosions at 12:10 am, 12:24 am, 3:12 am, 4:30 am, and 6:58 am. The one at 12:24 am was so loud it woke me out of a dead sleep. My sister Denise who lives upstairs asked if I heard the big boom this morning. I asked her which one. She looked out the window at 7 am and saw orange smoke coming out from the steel mill. After the midnight explosions I called the Mittal security guard at the gate. She wouldn't put me through to Seargant Dennis Pallister who asked me to contact him if I hear these. At 3:12 am I called back to Mittal security and left Dennis a message," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Jan 24: Mittal Steel: "It has been quiet with the jet engine sounds the past week. Now we have explosions instead."


Donna Levandowski with son Jimmy, daughter Joie and dog Fluffly
CLEVELAND -- "It has been quiet with the jet engine sounds the past week. Now we have explosions instead. My mom heard four explosions between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm on Saturday [January 19]. On Tuesday [January 22] I called Mittal Steel security after two explosions around 5:45 pm. The first one shook my house. Dennis from Mittal Steel called me back. He told me that they got a permit to clean out the blast furnace with explosions between 5 pm and 7 pm. He said that this is in code with the city and that I shouldn't hear them past 7 pm. At midnight I heard another explosion and it woke me up. I called Mittal security again and spoke with Dennis. He said they're not supposed to be doing it at that time. They only have a permit from 5 pm to 7 pm. He said they would investigate to find out what the noise was. I heard the explosions three times between 12:09 am and 12:17 am and then they woke me up again at 5:46 am when they exploded two more times. Dennis said he was sorry for what I was going through up here and understood that the fence behind my house echoes the noises and makes them worse. Dennis said the whole building shook where he was from one of the explosions and he understands what we're going through up here because they're going through it down there," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Jan 18: Mittal Steel: "The noise and the rumbling is interrupting my sleep."


Donna Levandowski
CLEVELAND -- "Last week on Tuesday night [January 8] the noise from Mittal Steel went on all night. I called Mittal Steel late on Tuesday night, it was almost Wednesday morning. Tom Krizman from Mittal Steel called me back on Friday afternoon [January 11]. He said the noise I heard was because of a power outage at power house #3. He said that power house #3 is the power house for the blast furnaces. He said that because they lost power the turbo blowers had to vent and that's why I heard a roaring noise. Mr. Krizman said he got a report from Dennis who was working security that night. Dennis wrote in the report that the noise stopped at 11:45 pm. I told him that the noise went on all night and asked him why I should have to call Mittal Steel every night about this. He said that he knows it's an inconvenience but if I can keep calling when I hear the noise that they can run up here and check on it. He said that they would call me back the next day so that they don't interrupt my sleep. I told Mr. Krizman that they're already interrupting my sleep with the noise and the rumbling. My kids go to school during the day and I pay a lot of money for their tuition. Mr. Krizman said they are checking on the noise during the day and a few times at night. I told him that Mittal Steel should respect the people that live around the mill and help their neighbors instead of always upsetting their neighbors," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Jan 14: Mittal Steel: "It is a hissing swoosh, a clanging, grinding sound. It's like an atomic bomb."


Noreen and Fred Doubek

CLEVELAND -- "We appreciate the attempts being made by Mittal Steel to make Independence Road look nice with a fence and trees. What they have to realize is that these are peoples' homes up here. Fred doesn't always hear the noise with the windows closed but I [Noreen] can hear them at night with the windows closed. It is a hissing swoosh, a clanging, grinding sound. It's like an atomic bomb. It sounds like the steel mill is blowing something out of their stacks. The sound will last for 15 to 20 minutes. The windows rattle and everything inside rattles. When LTV owned the mill we used to hear these sounds during the day. Now we hear them at night. We wonder what it's going to be like in the summer with our windows open. Living near the steel mill we've learned not to use white paint on the walls. We make some compromises in that way. But the sulfur odors get annoying and the last two years have been worse for my asthma [Noreen]. And it is so embarrasing to have family and friends over, swimming in our pool in the backyard and see that they have black streaks running down their legs because of the soot that has collected on our furniture and in the pool. We feel like the neighborhood was taken more into consideration when LTV owned the mill. If the snow was grey because of a release from the steel mill the EPA would be out here the next morning giving the company a fine. Now we have big metal flakes and graphite on our cars and it is all being ignored," Noreen and Fred Doubek, neighbors of Mittal Steel on Independence Rd.

Jan 11: Mittal Steel: "There are a lot of elderly in the neighborhood and the noise can hurt their ears."

senior citizen CLEVELAND -- "I've lived in this area near the steel mill for 37 years. The noise I hear at night has been going on for a long time. It's a loud whistling noise that is hard to explain. It's like a jet or a diesel noise. When the rest of the neighborhood is quiet at night it will wake you up and go on for 30 to 45 minutes. There are a lot of elderly in the neighborhood and the noise can hurt their ears. It would be good for the steel mill to clean up because I know so many people in my neighborhood who have breathing problems. I have asthma and bronchitis. My son-in-law has asthma and the husband of my neighbor across the street had breathing problems while he was still alive. There was also a woman who moved in down the street, not from the area, and when she moved in her asthma got worse. She's passed now too and it's really sad. We also have a lot of problems with the soot on our houses. It's terrible for white siding. You can see it on your clothes when you hang them out to dry," Betty Maraessa, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Beyerle Rd.

Jan 8: Mittal Steel: "When an airplane flies overhead the noise lasts for one minute. The other airplane noise I hear will go on for half an hour or 45 minutes."


Donald Prater
CLEVELAND -- "I've lived in this neighborhood since 1980. When an airplane flies overhead the noise lasts for one minute. The other airplane noise I hear will go on for half an hour or 45 minutes. I'll wonder when it is going to quit. It's very aggravating. I turn up the TV but I can still hear it. I heard the longer airplane noise early on Saturday morning [January 5]. I even went out and looked up and down the street to see what it was. There was someone blowing leaves on the street making noise but when that stopped I could still hear the jet engine noise. I heard the noise again on Sunday morning [January 6] at 9 am. It woke me up and went on for 30 minutes or so. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. It's a real loud roaring noise at first and it dies down and gets louder again, like they're opening and closing a valve," Donald Prater, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Beyerle Rd.

Jan 4: Mittal Steel says it will investigate night-time jet engine noise from the Cleveland Works

Donna Levandowski
Donna Levandowski
CLEVELAND -- "The noise I've been hearing these past couple of months is still going on. Some nights are louder than other nights. I haven't always called Mittal Steel because I get the same kind of message. This is what I go through every night when I call - 'I have to pinpoint where the noise is coming from,' they say. They know where the noise is coming from if I am calling so many nights about it, but they don't want to fix it. Tom Krizman said it was fixed and that there shouldn't be anymore noise. They should know where this noise is coming from. This is a voicemail the security guard at Mittal left for me on Sunday, December 30 at 1:03 am. 'Yes Donna, this is Bob from Mittal Steel security returning your call. I'm going to do some periodic noise assessments up in that area over by the Stein trucks and see if I can pinpoint this sound and find out where this is coming from. I was up there when Gate 1 called me. I went up there from 12:47 am to 1:05 am and I do hear a sound. It does sound like airplane sounds but I do have to do some further assessments and see what I can find out. Okay. Thank you.' Tom Krizman called me back yesterday. He said that they did fix the blast furnaces the day I talked to him [December 20, 2007] and that the noise problem has been fixed since then. He said the noise I hear now is coming from I-77 and Broadway. I asked him how the noise is coming from over there if I live on Independence and I hear a jet engine coming from right behind my house, where Mittal Steel is. I told him that they haven't fixed the problem, or if they did it has come back. I told him that Bob the security guard left a voicemail saying that he was by the Stein company hearing the noise, which is right behind my house. Mr. Krizman told me that he was with Bob right now and that he doesn't think Bob would've left that voicemail. I told Mr. Krizman that he should live up here at my house for a couple of nights to hear it. He said that they have people working on it to find out where the noise is coming from. Tom Krizman says I must be hearing something else at night. I told him that I know what I hear at night-time. It is a jet engine," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Jan 2, 2008: Mittal Steel: "I get one to two hours of sleep a night because of the noise."

industrial noise CLEVELAND -- "Mittal has not stopped the noise.  It went on Saturday night, December 22, Sunday night, December 23, and every night all the way through last night, Wednesday, December 26.  Last night was the worst. It sounded like my whole house was ready to fall down. It's ridiculous. Tom Krizman said the problem was fixed and the problem isn't fixed. Last night it sounded like there really was a jet airplane in my backyard. I had to get up and make sure that there wasn't an airplane there. I didn't call Mittal security right away because there is no use to keep on calling and waste my time. They'll tell me the same thing - that they have to release the pressure somewhere - it's a waste of my time. You hear the same stuff rom Mittal security over and over - that they first have to find where the problem is. Mr. Krizman said that he had the problem fixed. Now we have to listen to this every night. I'm so sick of it. I don't get any sleep at night and I'm crabby. I did call Mittal Steel this morning. Tom Krizman was on vacation so I spoke with someone else. I asked the security guard how much sleep he gets a night. He said he gets eight or nine hours. I told him I get one to two hours of sleep a night because of the noise. He kept saying he was sorry and I eventually hung up on him. I'm so sick of it," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Dec 20: Mittal Steel: "When is the airplane going to finally land?"
Donna Levandowski
Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel
CLEVELAND -- "The noises happened again last night.  At around 12:40 am Sergeant Palister [a security guard at Mittal Steel] called me back.  He said he was standing below where the noise is.  He said that our house is up higher and that we're going to hear it more.  He said the complaint calls about the noises are because of the release valves and that you'll hear the noise for three minutes.  I said it goes on all night long.  He asked, 'Doesn't it go off and on?'  I told him that it goes on all night long and I asked him when is the airplane going to finally land?  He said that it's a release valve that they don't have any control over.  He said he's going to call the towers today and see if they can get the noise under control.  This morning I got a voicemail from Tom Krizman.  He said he heard that I called in for some kind of noise last night.  I called him back and left him a message that I'm sick of Mittal Steel interrupting my sleep.  How would they [the management] like it if I stood outside their house all night long with a bullhorn and they couldn't get any sleep?," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Rd., leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.

Dec 19: Mittal Steel: "If I wanted to live near an airport I would move next to one."

Donna Levandowski
Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel
CLEVELAND -- "Last night I couldn't sleep. It's been going on the last couple of weeks and I've been letting it go. But last night I was so annoyed with the noise from Mittal Steel. I don't know what they're doing behind my house. It sounded like we had an airplane in our backyard, a jet engine. I tried calling Mittal security about six or seven times and nobody answered the phone. The noise kept me awake from 12:30 am to around 4:30 or 5:00 am and then I dozed off. If I wanted to live near an airport I would move next to one. This morning I called Mittal Steel again to talk to Terry Fedor [Mittal's plant manager] and I was transferred to his secretary. I left a message for Terry Fedor. He has not called me back. Then I called Rich Zavoda [Mittal's environmental manager] and he didn't answer. Then I called Mittal's security and spoke with an agent who asked me what the sound was. I told him that with the fence that Mittal put up behind my house the noise sounds ten times worse. I asked him why they can't make these noises during the day. My kid has to go to school in the morning and none of us could sleep," Donna Levandowski, neighbor on Independence Road, leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group.


Other Mittal Steel news

Contact:
Liz Ilg
Ohio Citizen Action
(216) 861-5200


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