Dear Red Phone,
“I’m wondering what regulations are, if there are any, on propane cannons. And who to call to complain if they are not being followed. I live about a mile outside the Gilroy city limits but am still in a fairly densely populated area. Yesterday it started sounding like a war zone here, starting at dawn and going till dusk. Our animals are scared to death and it goes on all the time. I respect agriculture and their needs but I am also heavily involved in farming and I know there are other, quieter methods, to tackle the bird issue. It may be a bit more expensive, but not a whole lot more. Thank you.”
Dear Boom Boom,
Hopefully you have contacted the farmer with the cannons who is protecting a crop. That’s step one and the best resolution. This is what Red Phone knows after contacting the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau. There are no statewide regulations for propane cannons. Locally it does not appear to fall under any regulatory agency, and Farm Bureau Executive Director Jennifer Scheer says that Peter Erickson, who enforces the county’s Noise Ordinance, believes this falls under the exemption for agriculture, which covers “mechanical devices, apparatus or equipment associated with agricultural operations conducted on agricultural property.” The county’s Right to Farm Ordinance would also provide some protections for this activity. So, our bucolic surroundings come with some bumps and the best way to iron that out is to communicate with your neighbor.
