Hum bothers GloFo neighbors

GlobalFoundries officials are trying to figure out how to reduce a humming noise from their Fab 8 computer chip plant that has generated complaints from residents in both Malta and Stillwater.

“It’s a buzzing noise. It can be irritating,” said Stillwater Town Supervisor Edward Kinowski, who said he’s received complaints from residents since mid-June.

He said he’s heard from people as far away at the Glen Hollow development, more than a mile from the factory site at the Luther Forest Technology Campus.

“It seems to carry through the woods,” he said.

Company officials said they’re trying to reduce the noise, although they believe they’re within the loudness standards written into the company’s zoning approval.

“We’re working with experts to see what else might be done,” said GlobalFoundries spokesman Travis Bullard.

The noise issue, as well as recent concerns about increased traffic on local roads, were discussed Monday evening at the company’s quarterly “Neighborhood Meeting” at its construction headquarters in Malta.

Bullard said it appears the noise is coming from continuous power supply equipment at the back of the factory, where energy storage equipment is in place to keep electricity flowing to the factory if there were a power interruption.

“It could be coming from a flywheel. We’re doing a lot of research on that right now,” Bullard said.

The continuous power supply equipment was activated in mid-June, as the company began hookup of the first manufacturing equipment in Fab 8 and started 24-hour operations.

Until recently, the $4.6 billion factory that started construction in 2009 has generated almost no complaints from local residents, despite as many as 2,000 construction workers sometimes working on-site.

In the last month or so, though, an increase in the permanent workforce has led to concerns about traffic as well as the noise complaints.

Bullard said the buzzing sound is measuring in the 40-50 decibel range, lower than the loudness limits set by the two towns.

Nevertheless, he said, the company has built a temporary noise-containment wall behind the power supply unit and has hired Vibration Engineering Consultants of Santa Cruz, Calif., to study what else can be done.

Kinowski said the company has been cooperative when he’s brought it complaints. “We’re getting great response back from the company,” he said.

Traffic has also been a concern of local residents. The Malta Town Board voted last week to install a barrier to keep through traffic going to GlobalFoundries off Hermes Road.

Bullard said the company Monday sent an email to all 650 employees telling them to use the new main technology campus entrance on Route 67, scheduled to open Wednesday. The next day, the Stonebreak Road entrance — the one now used by most employees — will close for a three-month reconstruction.

“We’ve told our employees those [other] entrances will be closed, and to use the southern entrance,” Bullard said.

Because the new entrance is near Round Lake at the southern edge of the technology campus, it will add about four miles to the trip of employees coming from Saratoga Springs or other points north.

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