Shea Lambert, a mother of two young girls, faced significant disruptions when a loud generator appeared in her front yard . “We’ve all had to sleep in the same room because it’s too loud in the girls’ room,” Lambert shared, noting that AT&T had failed to inform her family about the generator’s arrival. “We came home and it was just out there and it was loud.”
On its first night, the generator reportedly malfunctioned, leaking diesel fuel onto the lawn. Neighbors called 911, and crews from the City of Toledo’s Environmental Services were dispatched to address the spill. “There was about an inch of diesel fuel standing in our grass. It’s ruined our grass; it’s black out there,” Lambert said.
The noise and smell from the generator have kept Lambert from allowing her daughters, aged two and four, to play outside—a routine the family usually enjoys. “The inconvenience is definitely frustrating,” she added.
In response to the situation, Lambert and another concerned neighbor reached out to 13 Action News for assistance. I-TEAM Reporter Sophie Bates contacted AT&T for clarification on the generator’s purpose and its timeline for removal. An AT&T spokesperson explained, “We recently deployed a generator to keep our equipment online and our customers connected during a commercial power outage. The generator will be removed once power is restored.” The spokesperson also mentioned that the minor fuel spill was promptly addressed.
However, it remains unclear if the spokesperson was referring to an outage from Toledo Edison, as they confirmed to the I-TEAM that there was no power outage in that area at the time the generator was set up. Hours after AT&T’s statement, the generator was finally removed.
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