Wolken’s role with firm troubling

Published 12:01 am Friday, October 14, 2011

In response to your endorsement of Mark Wolken for Everett port commissioner, the voters in Everett should know that while wearing the hat of an Everett port commissioner, Wolken has also been employed as a consultant to Cedar Grove Composting as it pursues permitting before the city of Everett.

We feel Mr. Wolken’s business and consulting activities raise serious perceptions of a conflict of interest. Numerous people who are aware of his dual roles have remarked that they cannot believe it’s not a conflict of interest for a sitting port commissioner to represent Cedar Grove in permitting. With no prior expertise, Wolken started a second company last year to monitor odors for Cedar Grove, and they have attacked everyone else in the region as the odor source, making their work lack all credibility. It certainly shows a total lack of concern for the residents affected by odor.

One of the Everett Port’s stated goals is protecting the water and air quality, and the port did extensive mitigation in Union Slough to improve wildlife habitat and provide public trails. Our group and others have concerns about air emissions and water discharge from Cedar Grove’s Smith Island operations. It would seem that as a port commissioner Wolken should be raising similar concerns on behalf of his port constituents, but instead he advocates for and profits from Cedar Grove, which has taken an adversarial stance to community concerns.

Mr. Wolken’s continued association with such a controversial company should be considered before voting.

Mike Davis
Citizens for a Smell Free Snohomish County!
Marysville