Lisa-Marie Cashman - Comments

First, I would like to thank the FRA for approving the Town's waiver and to include the opportunity for public comment. I live 50 feet from the railroad tracks inbetween Mineral and Liberty Streets. I have a 5-year-old son who will be attending kindergarten in just a few short weeks. Since July 1, the decibel level and number of horn blasts have increasingly become longer and more frequent...with engineers even conducting horn blasts inbetween the crossings. At times when engineers have seen the Town officials or media trying to measure the dB, they have softened the horns to the 96 dB level. So it is confusing as to why the MBTA claims they cannot control the dB level. This morning, the decibel level from a calibrated meter read 124.7 dB. My son and I awoke with a start and my son began screaming and crying holding his ears. We cannot sustain this torture. Children are suffering...let alone the parents who must watch helpless to stop the noise. While I appreciate having the train in town as I do use it to travel to Boston on occassion, and to Newburyport...there must be something that can be done to change Federal regulations concerning horn blasts as it pertains to densely populated areas with crossings that are so close together. In the case of the Town of Ipswich, we have 5 crossings all within the spate of less than a 1/4 mile. Most importantly, this is a major public health issue. The potential for permanent and total hearing loss is huge; not to mention the emotional and physical effects this has on people. Sleep deprivation is at an all time high in this community. I've attached an independent study conducted by neighbors who borrowed a calibrated meter to measure the decibels of the horn blasts. Again at the horn's peak it reached 124.7 dB. Just as a comparison, at 130 dB, that is qualified as the pain threshold. I've also attached a document explaining what each decibel level represents in terms of noise impact. Please see attached documents. Kindest regards, Lisa-Marie Cashman