Coffin Butte Landfill Update: On July 19, 2024, Valley Landfills, Inc. submitted a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill located in Benton County. View the draft application materials as submitted to the county.
Once the application is deemed complete, the County’s review process will begin and must be completed within 150 days. During this time, one or more Planning Commission public hearings will be scheduled at the County allowing for the public to provide verbal testimony. Additionally, the public will have the opportunity to provide written testimony during the official public comment period. Check back here in coming weeks for the announcement of these dates, information on how to provide your written testimony, and to register as an interested party to the application. Additional informational materials:
Origins of present-day landfill operations
Waste disposal begins at Camp Adair related to WWII military operations. Landfilling first began in the 1940s by the Army as part of waste disposal for Camp Adair. Waste was placed in a quarry on the southwest flank of Coffin Butte, where the landfill operated as an open burn dump (referred to as the “Closed Landfill”).
The BCTT Final Report and A History of Coffin Butte Landfill presentation provide additional detail.
Ownership changes; expansion; environmental concerns
Multiple landfill site ownership changes occurred throughout the mid- to late century. The landfill expanded as a regional disposal site for DEQ’s Chemeketa Region and over time, environmental concerns related to groundwater and soil contamination, odors, fire, and air quality arose. In the 1980s, landfills across the United States became subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) which turned Coffin Butte into a regional Subtitle D landfill while closing many other smaller landfills.
The BCTT Final Report and A History of Coffin Butte Landfill presentation provide additional detail.
Additional landfill site ownership changes occurred in the 2000s. A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for quarry excavation and landfilling operation on the Coffin Butte property was approved (2002-2003). DEQ later issued a record of decision on Coffin Butte groundwater remediation activities deeming the landfill site to be in compliance (2005). In 2016, landfill tonnage increased from 553,000 tons to 941,000 tons in 2017. In 2019, Republic Services began installing methane capture wells. Today, over 300 of these wells feed generators and provide 4,000+ homes with electricity.
The BCTT Final Report and A History of Coffin Butte Landfill presentation provide additional detail.
Benton County Renews Franchise Agreement
Benton County renewed the landfill franchise agreement with Valley Landfills, Inc. through 2040. A clause in the 2020 Agreement includes removal of the 1.1 million tonnage cap upon any future CUP expansion.
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Landfill Expansion Application
Republic Services submitted a Conditional Use Permit application in 2021 seeking to expand the footprint of the landfill and related site improvements.
Land Use Application Process for Quasi-Judicial proceedings
Benton County Code, Chapter 23, Solid Waste Management
Benton County Development Code, Chapter 77, Landfill Site Zone
2021 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes for LU-21-047
Image Credit: Hasso Hering
Public Hearings
Benton County held two public hearings for the landfill expansion application, which were well-attended by the community and included substantial written and oral testimony from the public.
In December 2021, the Benton County Planning Commission denied Republic Service’s application for a CUP to expand the landfill.
Republic Services Appeals Planning Commission’s Decision
Following the Planning Commission’s denial of the CUP application, Republic Services appealed the decision to the Benton County Board of Commissioners.
Situational Assessment – County Engages a Neutral, 3rd Party Facilitator
Benton County engaged a neutral, third-party facilitator, to assist the county and stakeholders in identifying and implementing a constructive path forward for the future of solid waste disposal in the Mid-Willamette Valley, including at the Coffin Butte regional landfill. The facilitator issued the final report to the County in July 2022.
Benton County Solid Waste Situational Assessment Report by Oregon Consensus
BCTT Final Report Issued
The BCTT workgroup established, by consensus, “common understandings,” including 124 findings and offered 94 recommendations, for the future of solid waste and materials management in Benton County.
Sustainable Materials Management Plan (SMMP)
Following an October 2023 request for proposals for a specialized consulting team, the County selected the firm RRS to provide technical assistance for a regional SMMP later that year. Benton County is currently coordinating with regional partners to capture their perspectives and guidance for the SMMP. A project kickoff meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 2024.
News Post: Benton County Embarks on Groundbreaking Regional Sustainability Initiative
Anticipated Max Capacity of Landfill Reached
In its 2023 Annual Report, Republic Services estimated that the landfill will reach its maximum capacity in 2037, resulting in the landfill’s closure if an expansion application is not approved.
2023 Annual Report (submitted to Board of Commissioners June 2024)
Example image of a landfill closure, image credit: David Corrigan, Big Island Video News
