CALISTOGA — Residents and business owners in this wine country town are complaining about deafening noise produced by power generators brought in by PG&E.
All of Calistoga's electrical needs are coming from diesel-burning generators, each as tall as a one-story home, while the utility company upgrades power lines.
The noise they produce, however, is equal to the roar emitted by a Boeing 747. Measurements put the sound at 85 decibels, a level that's strong enough to cause prolonged hearing loss, according to the Center for Disease Control.
"We couldn't even speak to each other," said Laura Stanton, who owns a winery next door. "Needless to say there was a hue and cry from afar here and the neighborhood across the street."
PG&E has built two walls as barriers to block the sound. One faces Stanton's winery and the other reduces noise for residents across the street.
"It's basically a sound-dampening solution that we've been working on," said company spokeswoman Deanna Contreras.
The generators are running from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. until October.
"It's not necessarily the most pleasant thing," said Stanton.