Downside of kitchen-waste composting

I have great empathy for the people who live in Marysville having to deal with the unpleasant odor caused by Cedar Grove [“Big stink in Marysville,” page one, Nov. 19].

When kitchen waste became a component of the compost, it became a garbage dump. Before kitchen waste was a part of the operation, I would visit their site to get bricks and rocks for my garden from their dump pile. The smell was earthy and actually quite nice. Anytime rotting food is a component of compost there is going to be a bad smell.

Recently, I bought a bag of Cedar Grove compost for my garden and it smelled very different from what I used to buy; it was not a good smell and not something that I want on my plants.

— Nancy Utter, Seattle