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Mr. David Grant <br />Boston Scientific – Building 14 Expansion <br />Response to Neighbor Letter <br />12 March 2021 <br />Page 3 of 6 <br />equipment and provide a noise barrier to the surrounding neighborhood. Boston Scientific has <br />partnered with ESI, a local engineering consultant with expertise in sound engineering, to analyze <br />the impact of proposed state of Building 14. Using the information provided by the equipment <br />manufacturer and the improved design of the roof of building 14, ESI calculated that the future <br />noise impact to residences adjacent to BSC property will be far below the MPCA nighttime L50 <br />limits. <br /> <br />c. Argon Gas Storage: Refills occur on a regular basis but are not uncommonly completed prior to <br />6:00 AM on weekdays. The hissing sound is clearly audible during these events and is also out of <br />compliance of City of Arden Hills Code: 1325.06 Subd. 2. <br /> <br />i. Off-Street Loading. Off-street loading space shall be provided in connection with any use which <br />requires the receipt or distribution of materials by truck. Where noise from such loading space <br />is audible in a residential district, the activity shall terminate between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and <br />7:00 a.m. <br /> <br />Response: Boston Scientific was introduced to this concern during the December 14th <br />Neighborhood Review Meeting. The following day our facility staff reached out to all on-site service <br />vendors requesting they abide by city ordinance 660.4, Subd.4 and stay within the allotted time <br />frames. We are working with our vendor, Air Products, to devise an alternative plan for completing <br />deliveries at Building 14 between the hours of 6:00 am to 6:00 pm to accommodate residents. <br /> <br />d. Previous Noise Studies: Noise studies were conducted by a contracted third party due to a previous <br />Building 14 expansion and the data findings were conclusive; Boston Scientific was NOT in <br />compliance of state noise laws at time of study. Mitigation steps occurred via plantings but some of <br />those plantings have since died and been removed. No additional plantings were completed to <br />replace those trees nor have follow up noise studies been shared with the community. <br /> <br />Response: This statement is false. The study the residents are referring to occurred fifteen years <br />ago, on Dec 8, 2006, and although initial noise levels were above MPCA levels Boston Scientific <br />took immediate steps to reduce noise below MPCA levels. Boston Scientific invested in <br />substantial sound abatement techniques including planting trees and the installation of sound <br />absorption measures in certain areas of the facility. In follow-up surveys conducted on April 25, <br />2007 and June 20, 2007, prepared by independent third-party ESI Engineering Inc., the L50 levels <br />were confirmed to be below MPCA limits for the area. These results were sent to the City of Arden <br />Hills. In 2021, in preparation for the new expansion, another noise study was completed by ESI <br />Engineering Inc. After a thorough review of the current and future operating conditions, ESI <br />Engineering concluded that the noise from Building 14 would not exceed MPCA standards for this <br />region. <br /> <br />e. Independently contracted noise studies of a statistically significant data set should be conducted, <br />reviewed, and shared with the community prior to voting on any current or future proposals. The <br />data collection needs to occur where the noise is impacting the adjacent residents (on decks, <br />outside 2nd or 3rd floor bedroom windows or in back yards NOT buried in the woods as proposed <br />along the BSCI property lines). When the study occurs, you will capture the above activities. Time <br />stamped audio recordings have already been captured to validate the concerns.