By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MARIEMONT - Village leaders in a long-running noise dispute with a transportation company in neighboring Columbia Township may take their concerns to court.

At today's Village Council meeting, Mayor Dan Policastro plans to ask for $2,000 to hire a noise expert to help Mariemont prepare for a lawsuit against Bulkmatic Transportation Co. over alleged violations of Hamilton County's noise ordinance.

Bulkmatic has been rattling nerves of residents for at least eight years. They complain they are jarred awake in the night by machinery at the rail-yard transfer station.

Late last year, the village delayed suing Bulkmatic after officials said they would buy equipment to muffle noise, produced when trucks hook up to rail cars and use a vacuum to transfer plastic pellets and flour into their tankers.

However, noise complaints from neighbors have re-emerged, says Policastro, who lives one street away from Bulkmatic.

"I couldn't even hear the cicadas the other day," he said. "The clown who was down there the other day with the machine just didn't give a damn."

Company officials say they have been working hard to address Mariemont's noise concerns and want to avoid a lawsuit.

The company has spent $75,000 on equipment to help quiet the noise, and complies with federal noise regulations, said Dan Bowling, Bulkmatic's director of compliance.

"We have invested thousands of dollars in equipment to aid in addressing noise concerns," he said. "We've adjusted schedules and paid overtime to avoid late-night loadings. We've had neighbors tell us that they had noticed a distinct improvement and they appreciate our efforts."

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E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com