Sequim Gazette Editorial and Letters to the Editor

It's a sure bet most people, when asked, wouldn't cotton to living next door to a crematorium.

Yet, those who live in Carlsborg say that is exactly what will happen if the county approves a proposed crematorium to be built in the nearby industrial park.

Needless to say, neighbors closest to the facility want the project buried. They as much as said so in a recent hearing that the county's hearing examiner called one of the largest crowds he's seen in his career.

Crematoriums are, of course, where a deceased person's body is cremated, or burned. Cremation is an alternative to interment of an intact body in a casket.

More and more people are opting for cremation because it's generally less expensive and a simpler procedure than embalmment and burial.

In fact, Jason Linde, who wants to build the crematorium in Carlsborg, says one reason to build the crematorium is to save families money - in that he won't have to ship bodies to Seattle for cremation.

Sounds good if you have a loved one you want cremated, but not so good if that loved one is to be cremated within seeing, hearing or smelling distance of your home or business.

To those impacted, complaints range from possibly lowered property values, to businesses losing customers, to odor and finally, toxic waste supposedly spewing over the community. In addition to a not-in-my-backyard issue, there's the not-in-my-lungs worry.

A huge concern is waste from burning mercury, a toxic metal used in dental fillings. When burned, mercury gets into the air and settles in waterways where fish ingest it. Then people eat the poisoned fish, and so on.

However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, crematories emit about 238 pounds of mercury a year, or less than 1 percent of the total in the United States.

Mercury, it turns out, is a non-issue, especially considering very few dentists use mercury-laden fillings these days.

As Jack Springer, executive director of the National Cremation Association says, you are more exposed to mercury in a dentist's office than at a crematory.

As with most crematoriums, Linde's operation will be regulated by the state Clean Air Agency and is subject to being shut down if it doesn't comply with state and county regulations.

It's funny how people are not as opposed to living near a cemetery, which can be noisy and crowded with traffic during interments, and burial is also a known source of certain environmental contaminants.

Carlsborg neighbors say they were taken by surprise when learning of the crematory plans. Some found out after eating at a restaurant in Carlsborg that sported a petition for customers to sign against the plan to build the crematory.

To be fair, the county did post a land-use-proposal sign at the property, an oversized one at that. But, as often happens, people don't pay attention to county or city matters until it is too late.

Bottom line, Linde is asking to build the crematory in a business park, which is where such a facility should be built. A radius of about a quarter-mile separates the nearest business from the crematorium.

Admittedly, a crematorium does bring about a certain amount of queasiness; after all, none of us likes to ponder death and most of us think we somehow can escape it.

But when we need the services of a funeral home, cemetery or crematorium, we want those services available and easily accessible.

It may not be a neighborly way of thinking, but there are no guarantees when someone purchases property of what will or will not be built within a quarter-mile - even it is a crematorium, and especially if that facility is in an industrial-zoned area.



Moving forward - finally

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce membership has spoken. They have elected eight new board members to replace those who resigned in early February.

After three or so months of upheaval, the chamber is poised for a new beginning. Board members, both new and those in place, say bylaws will be reviewed and financial concerns resolved.

Kudos to Walt Schubert who kindly stepped up as interim board president during a trying time for the chamber. Schubert and Mike McAleer, interim vice president, will both resign after the new board is in place, which is the right thing to do.

Now it's up to the Sequim business community to get its act together and be the best it can be for the good of us all.



Mary Powell can be reached at editor@sequimgazette.com or at 683-3311.