An effort to expand the Coffin Butte landfill in rural Benton County experienced a major setback Tuesday night, as the county’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to reject the proposal.
The landfill is located about 10 miles north of Corvallis, near the town of Adair Village. Its owner, Republic Services, wants to expand southward, in order to add around six years to the lifespan of the site.
However, nearby residents have raised concerns about noise, fire risks, and impacts on water near the landfill. They've also told KLCC they've faced debilitating odors, which sometimes prevent them from leaving their homes.
Meanwhile, an EPA inspection last year found dozens of methane leaks at the landfill, including one gas extraction well with a concentration that was highly explosive.
At Tuesday's meeting, the County Planning Commission found that Republic Services' application would interfere with nearby land uses, and create an undue burden on county services such as traffic and water treatment.
"This hearing record and public testimony has shown Republic Services' apparent continual disregard for proper management of Coffin Butte landfill, disregard for federal and state protections regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Quality, and a disregard for the health and safety quality of life," said Commissioner Catherine Biscoe.
Ken Eklund lives in the Soap Creek Valley, a few miles away from the landfill. He said this vote felt like a vindication of his concerns.
“The application had so many holes in it and the county staff tried patching those holes with so many conditions of approval that just seemed so far-fetched," said Eklund. "The decision was kind of the triumph of common sense over legal wrangling.”
Republic Services declined KLCC's request for comment.
Next steps
Republic Services could still appeal the decision to the Board of Benton County Commissioners. But due to a recent rule change, the company would bear the actual costs of the proceedings, plus a $5,000 deposit.
"This is a huge victory—that even if there's an appeal, that bill is going to be footed by Republic and not by Benton County residents," said Mason Leavitt, GIS Analyst and Programs Coordinator for Beyond Toxics. "That cost can be steep, and that's really inaccessible to residents."
Joel Geier, who lives less than half a mile away from the landfill, said the community is staying defensively optimistic for now.
"None of this is really set in stone until it goes through the full appeal process," said Geier. "But I think that the County Commissioners are going to have to think long and hard before they overturn a unanimous decision."
This isn't Republic Services' first attempt to expand the landfill. Benton County's Planning Commission rejected a previous, larger-scale proposal in 2021.
Geier said residents face an uneven playing field, as the company can continue fighting for this expansion. According to previous estimates from Republic Services, the landfill has around 12 years left before it's full.
"It's a giant outfit, and they just see this as a cost of doing business,” said Geier. "They can keep pushing resources at this so it becomes a real strain on the community."
