Neighbors stand in Lisa Jansson’s yard to get a view of the wall of processed wood remains, or hog fuel, building up along the property’s border with DTG on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Neighbors stand in Lisa Jansson’s yard to get a view of the wall of processed wood remains, or hog fuel, building up along the property’s border with DTG on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

After complaints, county shuts down DTG’s Maltby recycling facility

For months, neighbors have reported constant noise and pollution at the facility. By July 15, DTG must stop accepting material there.

SNOHOMISH — After not obtaining proper permits from the county for over a year, recycling company DTG can no longer operate its facility near Maltby, under a new ruling issued by the Snohomish County hearing examiner.

The findings validated a slew of complaints from neighbors about DTG. For months, residents reported issues about escalated noise, dust and traffic at the 18827 Yew Way site.

By July 15, DTG must stop accepting material at the site. Two years from now, the company also needs to remove stockpiles of materials there.

DTG staff need to apply and obtain proper permits and certificates for unpermitted buildings and land-disturbing activity on the site, in addition to closing its recycling facility, county Hearing Examiner Peter Camp determined. The company has until fall 2024 to obtain proper permits, or else remove the buildings.

Lisa Jansson and her husband own a 5-acre property adjacent to DTG’s facility. She told the hearing examiner she wears hearing protection if she spends more than an hour outside. Using a noise meter, Jansson found sound reached 65 to 70 decibels when the company’s tub grinders chopped up woody debris. Inside her home, noise dropped to about 40 decibels, but she still compared it to a dishwasher that can never be turned off.

“I don’t hear birds anymore,” Jansson said in a previous interview with The Daily Herald. “I hear grinding.”

In March, water flowing along the edge of Jansson’s yard — typically clear and blue — turned brown and foamy and smelled of sewage.

Jansson and fellow neighbor Patti Olsen took a sample and submitted it to a lab. It showed high levels of fecal coliform and E. coli, according to results from AM Test Laboratories. The fecal coliform, at 28,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water, was 140 times greater than levels allowed at a swimming beach, under federal guidelines. But a test conducted by county officials several weeks later found 470 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water, Olsen said, still higher than allowable levels at a swimming beach.

Foamy brown water, emanating a smell similar to sewage, runs along the property line of Lisa Jansson’s home on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. Jansson said the water in the small stream had been flowing clean and clear only a few weeks earlier. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Foamy brown water, emanating a smell similar to sewage, runs along the property line of Lisa Jansson’s home on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. Jansson said the water in the small stream had been flowing clean and clear only a few weeks earlier. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Since the hearing examiner’s decision, Olsen said operations at the DTG site have been “louder than ever.”

She is happy about the ruling, but worries DTG may request the hearing examiner to reconsider the decision.

“We can’t live like this forever,” Olsen said in an interview Tuesday.

DTG has until May 13 to request reconsideration.

A DTG spokesperson declined to comment.

Last month, DTG and county surface water management staff visited Jansson’s property and took samples of the polluted ditch water.

DTG offers recycling to commercial, industrial and construction clients. The company has several recycling sites in Western Washington, as well as a landfill in Yakima.

Last year, DTG acquired United Recycling’s facility on Yew Way, and along with it, a history of violations.

County code enforcement had previously found United Recycling in violation of constructing and occupying buildings without proper permits. United Recycling appealed the findings, arguing the company sought permits from the county in the past, but its requests were refused.

When DTG took over, the company accepted the violations that workers constructed buildings without following county protocol. But DTG disputed the county’s allegations that operations at the Yew Way site were not allowed in an R-5 zone, or a “rural 5-acre” area. The area has been zoned that way since 1966.

Last week, the county hearing examiner noted operations at the Yew Way site exploded over the past two decades. An annual report submitted to the state Department of Ecology found the facility processed more than 130,000 tons of material in 2022 — over seven times the weight of wood waste the site expected to process in 1999.

Jansson, Olsen and other neighbors said noise, dump truck traffic and dust from the facility became more of an issue when DTG took over in 2023.

The county is not issuing any penalties at this time, said county Planning and Development Services spokesperson Jacob Lambert.

If DTG does not comply with regulations by the set dates, the county may issue penalties at that time.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Three injured after high-speed, head-on collision on Highway 522

Washington State Patrol is investigating the crash that happened before 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Fernando Espinoza salts the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue South on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Think this is cold, Snohomish County? Wait until Tuesday

Tuesday could bring dangerous wind chill during the day and an overnight low of 19 degrees

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

The Washington State Department of Licensing office is seen in 2018 in Seattle. (Sue Misao / The Herald)
Drivers licensing offices to close Feb. 14-17

Online services are also not available Feb. 10-17. The Washington State Department of Licensing said the move is necessary to upgrade software.

Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.