Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Landfill Environmental Concerns topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges ban on out-of-county waste at closed Cape Landfill, raises groundwater concerns
Summary
Pam Wickersham told the Yakima County commissioners April 22 that waste from out of county — including trucks from Canada — has been brought to the now-closed Cape Landfill and urged the board to adopt a prohibition; she also raised concerns about groundwater and gypsum decomposition at the site.
Pam Wickersham addressed the Yakima County Board of Commissioners during public comment on April 22, 2025, urging the board to adopt a ban on out-of-county waste at the closed Cape Landfill and raising groundwater contamination concerns related to gypsum (sheetrock) in landfill material.
Wickersham said she had observed transfer trucks from McKinley Transport of Chilliwack, British Columbia, near Fortieth Avenue since 2019 and believes some Canadian waste may be arriving at local facilities. She referenced a 2010 Yakima waste-system letter and a Washington Refuse and Recycling Association letter she previously presented as warnings about potential issues with the Hayden Landfill and similar operations.
Wickersham also cited language she said was in the Pollution Control Board findings and a limited-purpose landfill agreement for the Jim and Charlotte Catons parcel, noting a passage about gypsum (sheetrock) producing gases or leachate during decomposition. She told the board she had attended a Department of Ecology meeting in which an official described a river flowing under the landfill area at a depth of 300 feet; she contrasted that with language in the landfill agreement that mentioned a possible 1,000-foot-deep well and with a personal family well drilled to 267 feet about a mile away. From those differences she said groundwater was “definitely a concern,” and she emphasized the landfill is unlined.
Wickersham closed her comment by urging the board to adopt a “no out-of-county waste” policy and said she had provided the commissioners with photos and letters previously. The transcript records no immediate staff response or board action during the meeting on the landfill concerns; the public-comment remarks were noted and the meeting moved on to the consent agenda.
Wickersham’s remarks were delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting; no formal agenda item on the Cape Landfill appeared on the board’s regular agenda that day. The county did not read or attach technical studies or Department of Ecology reports into the record during the meeting. Materials Wickersham referenced — the 2010 letter, the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association letter, and photos — may be part of prior submissions to the board but are not included in the meeting transcript.
The board’s posted meeting materials and recording are the public record cited for follow-up.
