RESPONSE SUMMARY - Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

RESPONSE SUMMARY
ORIGINAL DRAFT ORDER OF APPROVAL NO. 10052
Comment Period – April 29 - June 15, 2010
the above issues aside, it is the job of PSCAA to enforce this. It seems
to me that the goal, stink-free air, has gotten lost in issues of process.
PSCAA is the only recourse that is open to us, other than the courts. We
desperately need PSCAA to enforce the law.
(June 3 Oral Comments Paraphrased) - Since 1988 PSCleanAir received
(Oral Comments June 3) 7725 Complaints, 80 in the previous month. As much enforcement
effort as permitting effort needed. Cedar Grove failed to meet
commitments from lawsuit settlement. Have CG post a bond against
Chuck Arnold
(Oral Comments June 3)
odor complaints. Patience is exhausted.
(June 3 Oral Comments Paraphrased) - Was unaware of the smell when
he purchased his home but now has no choice but to live with the
consequences. Curtails outdoor activities when smell is so strong.
David and Brandi
Sheridan
(Written May 16)
My wife and I have lived in rural Maple Valley, since early 2002, and
we love the area. It was not until sometime early in 2009, that the
stench from Cedar Grove Compost became so strong, that we began to
make repeated phone calls and e-mails to your organization (PSCAA),
to complain of the situation. Nina Birnbaum at PSCAA can verify some
of the times we have called, and e-mailed. We began to keep a log of
the
times that the odor was unbearable. During one period from July 15,
2009 through August 30th, 2009, we had 18 entries over about 15 of the
days, and we were out of town for about 10 days during the period.
We live several miles south of the Cedar Grove Compost facility, and
know that hundreds of our neighbors must also be affected by the
noxious odor. A lot of the times, the stench is stronger in the evenings,
and on the weekends, when no one from PSCAA is around to verify the
complaints.
We feel that the self monitoring by Cedar Grove Compost is not
acceptable, as we would not have this continued problem.
A lot of our neighbors are moving, and have moved away due to this
problem. As the smell only seems to be getting worse, the last year or
two, we feel as though the efforts put in place so far to minimize the
stench have been highly ineffective. As such, we strongly urge PSCAA,
not to grant Cedar Grove Compost any permit to continue operating.
In summary, we feel that it is unacceptable for Cedar Grove Compost to
continue it's operations, when so many people are affected.
There are health concerns to ourselves and our pets and livestock, not to
mention decreased property values. We are not able to plan
any outdoor events at our house, as we are ashamed and embarrassed by
the stench. Some people say that we should have been aware
of the smell when we located to the area, but we contend that the smell
is getting worse and traveling further, as it has only begun to affect
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