Speaking through the Hive Creative Group, a Crozet public relations firm, R.A. Yancey Lumber Corporation announced Tuesday night that it will be halting all lumber-curing operations at night. In a news release, Yancey Lumber said they’d found a way to allow the boiler to maintain enough heat at night and still be able to power up and treat lumber during the day.
Yancey Lumber said they are awaiting the silencer for the boiler’s exhaust stack, an addition they believe will be a long-term solution. The silencer is being custom made and is expected to arrive in two weeks.
Yancey Lumber said once they were identified as the source, they attempted to reduce the sound by making adjustments to the speed of the boiler fan. “Based on reports of the past few days, the reduction did not have the intended effect,” the statement said.
Residents affected had reported via the online message board, Nextdoor, and in angry calls to the county and Yancey Lumber’s attorney, that the noise was persisting and, in some cases, even worse. Yancey Lumber’s acoustic consultant, Acentech, has set up monitoring equipment at some of the affected homes, but has not publicly reported recent sound measurement as yet.
Yancey has set up a website where people can find information and ask questions, at rayanceylumber.com.
Meanwhile, some of the residents affected by the noise contacted the Gazette to express relief for a peaceful Tuesday night.
