Benton County Commissioners have denied the application to expand the Coffin Butte landfill, in a reversal of their previous decision last year.
The commissioners voted 2-1 in November to approve the expansion, despite concerns from community members over odor and fire risk.
But just days later, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced plans to take enforcement action against the current landfill, citing poor covering, incomplete monitoring practices, and an undersized gas collection system.
In a report last month, county staff found that the DEQ’s letter undermined the credibility of the odor study submitted by the landfill’s owner, Republic Services.
On Tuesday, the commissioners voted unanimously to reverse their previous decision and adopt the staff's findings. Commissioners Nancy Wyse and Pat Malone changed their votes from how they voted in November.
“I view the evidence in the DEQ letter and the evaluation of that letter by the county's experts as more credible than Republic's expert evidence,” said Wyse at the hearing.
Mason Leavitt with Beyond Toxics, a Eugene-based non-profit that has testified against the expansion, celebrate the decision Tuesday. He told KLCC the DEQ corroborated what neighbors have been saying throughout multiple hearings.
“I never expected that the commissioners would get a second chance at looking at this evidence and incorporating it into their thinking, and I was relieved that they could,” said Leavitt. “I don't know what's going to happen next, but this is a really good step in the right direction of having sound science inform land-use decision-making for the future of this facility.”
Republic Services could still appeal the decision to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. In an email to KLCC Tuesday, the company said the commissioners had erred in their decision.
"We are evaluating next steps and remain focused on operating Coffin Butte Landfill, a regional asset, in a safe and responsible manner," wrote a Republic spokesperson.
This story will be updated.
