Residents organize to fight stench
Published on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 by Beckye RandallRead More Local News
Mike Davis is fed up with the continuous smell wafting up to his Marysville home.
"Two months ago, my father was here to celebrate his 71st birthday," said Davis. "We were unable to use our back deck and ended up having to stay inside the house, with all the windows closed, in 81-degree weather. It just p**ed me off."
On July 19, Davis and about a hundred other local residents gathered at the Marysville Public Library to form Citizens for a Smell-Free Marysville, a grassroots organization that is seeking relief from the ongoing problem.
The group's published mission is to preserve the quality of Marysville air, which includes monitoring new and existing businesses to ensure compliance with permit requirements and working with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) to enforce recommendations that meet that goal.
Specifically, the citizen activists say their intent is to "force Cedar Grove Composting on Smith Island in Everett to make whatever improvements are needed to eliminate the putrid odor that is being emitted from their facility."
Those attending the meeting were encouraged to participate in a petition signature drive, with the goal of collecting 3,000 names of residents demanding action.
Representatives from the PSCAA were in attendance at the organizational meeting. Paul Roberts, president of the Everett City Council and chair of the PSCAA board, joined supervising inspector Mario Pedroza in answering questions and fielding complaints from the crowd.
Cindy Webb lives next to Jennings Park, just off 56th Street in Marysville. "I've complained 15 or 20 times about the smell," she said, "but nothing ever happens."
Still, according to PSCAA officials, reporting the smell at the time of the incident is critical.
"We have to be able to determine the source of the odor before we can take any action," Roberts explained. "An inspector has to come to the complainant's residence or business, verify the odor, check the prevailing winds, then trace it to the source. We have to have that data."
The problem, according to many of those present, is that PSCAA inspectors don't work evenings or weekends, when most homeowners are affected. That may change, as Roberts has since recommended to the PSCAA board that the agency adjust inspectors' work hours to extend coverage.
Cedar Grove Composting began recycling organic materials, mostly yard waste, at its Smith Island location in 2004, and PSCAA has received complaints about the odor that hangs over north Everett and Marysville for the last four years. In the past three months, the agency has logged 190 complaints.
Neighbors are worried that the problem will get much worse if the company is permitted to increase the scope of its operation, as it apparently is planning. Cedar Grove is allegedly preparing to ask for permits to begin accepting food waste from King County restaurants--as much as 6,000 tons each year.
"Even if they don't get that permit, that will only fix what's pending," said Sunnyside resident Krissy Davis. "We need to fix what's going on now!"
"My house smells like garbage," Davis continued. "We had a birthday party for my son and people had to leave because of the stench."
Asked if she had lodged complaints with PSCAA, the Marysville woman said, "I've left dozens of messages. I've never even gotten a return phone call."
Pat Holland, a retired police detective, claims the Smith Island company's emissions include a dense dust cloud that coats nearby boats and waterways.
"The smell is bad enough, but when you're covered in dust that comes for ground-up and mixed rotting, molding food, food byproducts, waste wood, paper and just plain garbage, you'd think that would be a real heath hazard," said Holland. "My dog and I experience difficulty breathing and being able to function outside in the open while we are on our boat (moored at SeaCrest Marina). Plus there must be tons of dust they are dumping in the sensitive waters of North Everett."
Holland continued, "One day I followed a dust slick leading from Cedar Grove out into Port Gardner Bay--over 4 miles."
Sharon Schimke of Maple Valley attended the Monday night meeting to encourage residents to stick together to fight. Cedar Grove Composting operates a similar facility in Maple Valley that has also been the target of odor complaints.
"They told us the problem would be solved when the Smith Island facility opened," Schimke told the crowd. "But it's still so bad I can't sleep. I'm up at 2:00 every morning, calling the agency about the smell. Nothing has changed."
Officials at Cedar Grove insist their operations meet all standards, and that they are not the sole source of the odors plaguing local residents. Other possible contributors, according to the company, include Pacific Topsoil, Everett Bark, the Hansen Boat Co. and the Marysville wastewater treatment plant.
However, PSCAA has issued nine odor violations to Cedar Grove since 2008 in response to complaints, according to Laurie Halvorson, PSCAA's director of compliance. The notices do not impose any financial penalty, although fines can levied if the agency does not believe the company is responding in good faith. That has happened twice, with the company paying a $2,000 fine in April 2008 and a $14,000 fine pending from last August.
"Fines don't mean anything," said one local resident. "This company just figures that in as a cost of doing business. These paltry amounts are no deterrent."
Davis and his group are tired of the excuses. With petition drives, picket lines and consistent phone calls to PSCAA, the residents are committed to action that brings some results.
"I don't want any money," said Davis. "I just want my yard back."
If you'd like to learn more about the efforts of Citizens for a Smell-Free Marysville, visit http://freemarysville.blogspot.com. To file a complaint with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, call (206) 343-8800, ext. 6, or 1-800-552-3565, ext. 6. Complaints can also be submitted by e-mail at inspection@pscleanair.org.
"Two months ago, my father was here to celebrate his 71st birthday," said Davis. "We were unable to use our back deck and ended up having to stay inside the house, with all the windows closed, in 81-degree weather. It just p**ed me off."
On July 19, Davis and about a hundred other local residents gathered at the Marysville Public Library to form Citizens for a Smell-Free Marysville, a grassroots organization that is seeking relief from the ongoing problem.
The group's published mission is to preserve the quality of Marysville air, which includes monitoring new and existing businesses to ensure compliance with permit requirements and working with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) to enforce recommendations that meet that goal.
Specifically, the citizen activists say their intent is to "force Cedar Grove Composting on Smith Island in Everett to make whatever improvements are needed to eliminate the putrid odor that is being emitted from their facility."
Those attending the meeting were encouraged to participate in a petition signature drive, with the goal of collecting 3,000 names of residents demanding action.
Representatives from the PSCAA were in attendance at the organizational meeting. Paul Roberts, president of the Everett City Council and chair of the PSCAA board, joined supervising inspector Mario Pedroza in answering questions and fielding complaints from the crowd.
Cindy Webb lives next to Jennings Park, just off 56th Street in Marysville. "I've complained 15 or 20 times about the smell," she said, "but nothing ever happens."
Still, according to PSCAA officials, reporting the smell at the time of the incident is critical.
"We have to be able to determine the source of the odor before we can take any action," Roberts explained. "An inspector has to come to the complainant's residence or business, verify the odor, check the prevailing winds, then trace it to the source. We have to have that data."
The problem, according to many of those present, is that PSCAA inspectors don't work evenings or weekends, when most homeowners are affected. That may change, as Roberts has since recommended to the PSCAA board that the agency adjust inspectors' work hours to extend coverage.
Cedar Grove Composting began recycling organic materials, mostly yard waste, at its Smith Island location in 2004, and PSCAA has received complaints about the odor that hangs over north Everett and Marysville for the last four years. In the past three months, the agency has logged 190 complaints.
Neighbors are worried that the problem will get much worse if the company is permitted to increase the scope of its operation, as it apparently is planning. Cedar Grove is allegedly preparing to ask for permits to begin accepting food waste from King County restaurants--as much as 6,000 tons each year.
"Even if they don't get that permit, that will only fix what's pending," said Sunnyside resident Krissy Davis. "We need to fix what's going on now!"
"My house smells like garbage," Davis continued. "We had a birthday party for my son and people had to leave because of the stench."
Asked if she had lodged complaints with PSCAA, the Marysville woman said, "I've left dozens of messages. I've never even gotten a return phone call."
Pat Holland, a retired police detective, claims the Smith Island company's emissions include a dense dust cloud that coats nearby boats and waterways.
"The smell is bad enough, but when you're covered in dust that comes for ground-up and mixed rotting, molding food, food byproducts, waste wood, paper and just plain garbage, you'd think that would be a real heath hazard," said Holland. "My dog and I experience difficulty breathing and being able to function outside in the open while we are on our boat (moored at SeaCrest Marina). Plus there must be tons of dust they are dumping in the sensitive waters of North Everett."
Holland continued, "One day I followed a dust slick leading from Cedar Grove out into Port Gardner Bay--over 4 miles."
Sharon Schimke of Maple Valley attended the Monday night meeting to encourage residents to stick together to fight. Cedar Grove Composting operates a similar facility in Maple Valley that has also been the target of odor complaints.
"They told us the problem would be solved when the Smith Island facility opened," Schimke told the crowd. "But it's still so bad I can't sleep. I'm up at 2:00 every morning, calling the agency about the smell. Nothing has changed."
Officials at Cedar Grove insist their operations meet all standards, and that they are not the sole source of the odors plaguing local residents. Other possible contributors, according to the company, include Pacific Topsoil, Everett Bark, the Hansen Boat Co. and the Marysville wastewater treatment plant.
However, PSCAA has issued nine odor violations to Cedar Grove since 2008 in response to complaints, according to Laurie Halvorson, PSCAA's director of compliance. The notices do not impose any financial penalty, although fines can levied if the agency does not believe the company is responding in good faith. That has happened twice, with the company paying a $2,000 fine in April 2008 and a $14,000 fine pending from last August.
"Fines don't mean anything," said one local resident. "This company just figures that in as a cost of doing business. These paltry amounts are no deterrent."
Davis and his group are tired of the excuses. With petition drives, picket lines and consistent phone calls to PSCAA, the residents are committed to action that brings some results.
"I don't want any money," said Davis. "I just want my yard back."
If you'd like to learn more about the efforts of Citizens for a Smell-Free Marysville, visit http://freemarysville.blogspot.com. To file a complaint with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, call (206) 343-8800, ext. 6, or 1-800-552-3565, ext. 6. Complaints can also be submitted by e-mail at inspection@pscleanair.org.
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