(WSBT) It may get worse before it gets better for some neighbors in Elkhart. The city hired a consultant to check the noise and vibration levels at Sturgis Iron & Metal's car recycling Mega-Shredder.

Neighbors feel there’s too much noise with the operation that shreds and recycles junk cars.

The company says it’s complying with city directives to keep the noise at an acceptable level.

So the city hired a consulting group out of Valparaiso to test and monitor noise levels to see who is right.

They'll be placing sound level meters in and around the operation, and periodically checking sound data from them for the next week.

"We're going to compare the noise levels at the various locations on the property here and in the community,” explained Nathan Sevener of Acoustics By Design.

To make the comparison they'll take sound readings this week and then compare that to a brief noise they'll generate off and on during the test period — noise that will sound like an explosion or gunshot.

"So that gives us a gauge of whether or not the sound that we are measuring out here is actually coming from the shredder or not,” Sevener said.

Neighbors who live by the facility told WSBT News they are cautiously optimistic that some good will come from the tests.

“I don't think that very much could be done about the noise unless it was completely enclosed or it was turned off,” said Angela Ravel, who lives in the area.

"I just don't think they are going to be able to get it done because the machine is just too big to be in this neighborhood, it really shouldn't be here," said neighbor Perry Kirkendoll.

Now another firm has been hired by the company to check for possible odors coming from the operation in nearby neighborhoods.

Industrial Safety and Environmental Services of Elkhart is working on that. It hopes to have results in about three weeks.