Louisiana Residents Complain of Mysterious Vibrations Blamed on Waste Management Facility

Residents in a small Louisiana town are reporting that mysterious sounds and vibrations, which they claim began after a private equity-owned waste management company established operations across the river, are ruining their lives and damaging their homes.

The complaints, primarily from residents of Plaquemine Point in Iberville Parish, focus on disruptive low-frequency sounds and vibrations emanating from the VLS Environmental Solutions facility on the Mississippi River. These issues reportedly started approximately two years ago, following the facility's installation.

VLS Environmental Solutions, a waste management and marine services company owned by the Miami-based private equity firm I Squared Capital, established its 'Sunshine Facility' in Plaquemine in 2022. The facility is designed to offer comprehensive barge cleaning and repair services.

Local residents have voiced their concerns at parish council meetings, describing the sounds as piercing and intense, even if not overtly loud when outside. One resident, Les Ann Kirkland, noted that her historically sturdy 100-year-old home began to shake only after the VLS facility became operational. Another resident reported that the vibrations have caused her driveway to crack.

In response to the escalating complaints, Iberville Parish commissioned a study to investigate the alleged vibrations and sounds. The study, conducted by IVC Technologies, utilized multiple devices to measure the intensity of any emissions. However, the findings indicated that no frequencies outside the normal range were being emitted from the site.

According to the parish's Executive Director of Economic Development, John Clark, the study recorded no events with low-frequency sound, which residents had described as causing the rumbling and shaking. He noted that these low-frequency incidents can be more intense than anticipated.

Complicating the study's results, one of the two devices intended to record data over a period from May 22 to July 13 malfunctioned, displaying a blank data card. The cause of this technical issue remains unclear.

The report from the study concluded that no low-frequency sounds capable of causing structural shaking were detected. However, some residents have expressed skepticism about the study's methodology and equipment, questioning whether the right people and tools were used.

The parish has indicated a willingness to conduct further testing to address the residents' ongoing concerns.