Opinion| Opinion

Yakima is my home! Yakima is my home since 1986. I love the variety of activities, especially the country atmosphere. But this tranquility is now at risk.

I live near the DTG (formerly Anderson), landfill and mining operations at Rocky Top trails.

Since DTG’s purchase, neighbors have endured odor, litter, dust and nighttime operations. The company is expanding rapidly with little or no regulatory oversight from the government. I’m concerned that our local regulators are not holding DTG to the same standards it requires for its individual residents.

Here are some of my specific concerns.

• Individuals in Yakima can be fined for littering, yet years of complaints about trash blowing off DTG’s landfill have never resulted in any known fines.
• Individuals must have multiple permits and regulations in order to sink a well. However, regulatory agencies often give a nod to landfill companies that have the potential to pollute our groundwater. We are concerned about the reliability and efficiency of the DTG-compliant ground water monitoring system that the county has set up.
• To protect our air, individuals must obtain permits to burn weeds, but we have evidence that suggests toxic emissions are coming out from the buried fill at DTG’s operation. We are concerned that local regulators will allow DTG to reduce their costs and not require the company to protect public health.
• Individuals who cause noise nuisances would expect that local authorities would hear them. However, DTG disturbed the nighttime peacefulness of our neighborhood by crushing gravel several times a week for several weeks in spring. The company’s conditional use permit states that operations can only continue between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• In 2004, DTG issued a mining permit expansion that included permission to build an asphalt batch facility. Now, with DTG’s partnership with Granite Construction, we fear we’re facing the possibility that asphalt operations could be the next thing we’ll have to endure.
• Counties with regional solid waste landfills often have a “host fee” paid on each ton of waste dumped from outside the county. The revenue generated supports landfill oversight, including inspections, and investigations. We ask county commissioners to approve such a fee. King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties account for a significant portion of the waste that ends up in the landfill. They should pay more to dump here.
• We have filed more than 100 complaints to local health and environmental authorities so far, and we’ve been asked to document our concerns at each turn. Isn’t that government’s responsibility?

As frustrating as this has been, there are still some silver linings. I’ve learned what wonderful neighbors are all about and we’ve seen the power of banding together for something we’re passionate about!

Our goal is to simply help our local officials recognize their power and fulfill their duty to safeguard our health and the environment.

Dr. Mark Koday serves as Director of Northwest Dental Residency for the Yakima valley Farm Workers Clinic. He is currently a member of the Washington State Dental Association’s Board of Directors and a delegate to American Dental Association.