Benton County Commissioners say they will revisit their decision to allow the Coffin Butte landfill to expand.
In November, the commissioners voted 2-1 to approve the expansion, despite concerns from some community members about pollution and odor.
However, this month, opponents petitioned the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals to overturn the county’s decision.
On Tuesday, the county commissioners voted unanimously to withdraw their approval, allowing them to discuss the application further before it goes through the state appeals process.
Critics of the landfill told KLCC they weren’t certain how to take the news this week.
Mark Yeager, who lives about five miles from Coffin Butte, said it isn’t yet clear whether the commissioners have changed their minds about the expansion, or just want to improve their existing arguments for approval.
“It is really difficult for me to say that I'm optimistic or pessimistic,” said Yeager. “I'm confused as to what they're doing, and why they're doing it now.”
Mason Leavitt with Beyond Toxics argued it’s unlikely that the commissioners will reverse their decision.
“Not only would they have to write 100 or so pages of findings of denial—they would now be tasked with arguing against the exact reasoning they just gave for approval,” said Leavitt. “So it would be a really monumental task to deny at this point.”
In an email to KLCC Wednesday, County Commissioner Nancy Wyse said she couldn’t share some details about the decision, as county rules limit outside communication about the application.
She said she introduced the motion to withdraw because she wanted to “pull the decision back for the board to reconsider.” Wyse previously voted for the expansion, but said she personally opposed it.
Commissioner Pat Malone, who had also voted for the expansion, said this new measure is a way “to get more information.”
In November, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced it will take enforcement action against the Coffin Butte landfill over monitoring and dust mitigation issues. To include that in its decision-making, the county would have to reopen the record.
The commissioners plan to revisit the application on Jan. 6.
When KLCC conducted its interview with Leavitt, he said he was under the impression that the county would have to make its new decision by Jan. 15 of the next year, which was the one-year statutory deadline to adopt a final decision.
However, in an email Thursday, Vance Croney from Benton County's Office of County Counsel said there is no deadline on that date. He said the statute in question no longer applies to this case, since the county already reached its initial final decision, and this review is a separate part of the process.
Task Force on Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley
Also on Tuesday, the state convened a new task force meant to help shape trash policy in the Willamette Valley. It was created through a bill passed in the state legislature this year.
The group includes eight voting members, spanning the League of Oregon Cities, the Oregon Refuse & Recycling Association, the Governor’s office, Marion County, Benton County, and Republic Services, with two representatives from the Oregon Environmental Council.
There are also four non-voting members from the state legislature: Sen. Courtney Neron Misslin and Rep. Sarah Finger McDonald, both Democrats, as well as Sen. Todd Nash and Rep. Ed Diehl, both Republicans.
By Dec. 15 of next year, they must submit a report to the legislature, which could include suggestions for new laws.
“In order for the task force to be successful, we've got to figure out compromises and how we can come up with a plan that everybody can live with," said Malone, the Benton County Commissioner who's serving as the task force's Chair.
Malone said the region needs more transfer stations to sort garbage, and counties like Benton should be increasing the share of waste they're diverting.
"How can we kind of align our values with our infrastructure, so that we're not sending so much waste of the landfill, no matter where the landfill is?" said Malone.
The appointments have drawn some criticism from local activists. Leavitt said he's disappointed to see that multiple members have worked with Republic Services or supported their projects in the past.
"If you have an elected official that serves on this committee, hold their feet to the fire during this time," said Leavitt. "We're going to need a lot of strong voices in that committee advocating for a sustainable future that supports public health and our environment."
