Mystery Windsor rumbling pinpointed to U.S.

The source of mysterious rumblings that have been troubling residents in the Windsor-Essex area for months are coming from the United States, a Ministry of Environment official said Thursday.

Teri Gilbert, a spokeswoman for the agency, said seismic testing from Natural Resources Canada over the summer pinpointed a one-square kilometre area of River Rouge, which is on Zug Island.

Although there is a steel plant run by US Steel in that area, Gilbert could not confirm what the exact cause of the sound was or what the source was.

The ministry is workingon the problem with its Michigan counterparts, including the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the municipality of River Rouge.

Gilbert said the various agencies would prepare a report, but no timeline was given for the completion of the document.

Windsor City Councillor Al Maghnieh has long suspected that the noise was coming from Zug Island.

"It's not a surprise at all, given the heavy industry that goes on there. The heavy manufacturing process and the real core manufacturing processes there are pretty hard-core when it comes to noise, vibration, pollution, toxic air," the councillor said.

Residents have long claimed that the noise is so unbearable that it wakes them up in the middle of the night.

The residents have taken such steps as setting up a Facebook group that logs when they hear the sound and where it appears to be coming from. They have also used a map to pinpoint the direction of the noise.

The councillor said changes in the manufacturing process in the past year have intensified the sensation.

Residents had earlier suspected the Brighton Beach power plant on the shores of the Detroit River, but this was ruled out recently.

Maghnieh is organizing a public meeting to discuss the phenomenon on Sept. 29 and the seismic data collected by Natural Resources Canada will be presented at the meeting. The councillor is also calling American authorities and representatives from US Steel to attend.