MP Ramsey seeks answers on source of hum
Essex MP Tracey Ramsey is determined to get some answers on the cause of the nighttime vibrations and reverberating sounds known as the “hum” that have been a mystery in Windsor since 2011.
Ramsey has sent a letter to Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, pushing for an action plan and solution to the problem. The nighttime noises have been disturbing residents in the west and south ends of the city along with mystifying political leaders and scientists for years. In 2014, a federal government study linked the disturbances to the U.S. Steel Corp. operations on Zug Island.
An exact source of the noise was never found because Canadian government officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade were not allowed access to the site. But experts suspected it emanated from furnace blasts at U.S. Steel.
“People are constantly coming in my office concerned about the hum,” she said. “And something needs to be done about it. People want some answers since it affects their health and has been disruptive to their lives. It’s time for the federal government to address their counterparts in the U.S. and come up with a solution.”
In addition to the letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramsey is circulating a petition which urges the government to provide the residents of Essex with an update on the hum and a detailed action plan to address the problem.
The petition is available at traceyramsey.ndp.ca or at her office in Essex at 316 Talbot Rd. N., Unit 6.
“The hum has been an ongoing issue for years,” Ramsey said. “I just want to keep the ongoing pressure on the government. We want to know what action they are going to undertake about the hum.”
On Sept. 18, the House of Commons resumes its fall session, so Ramsey believes the time is perfect to enact a solution.