County advisory committee hears landfill fire-safety briefing as neighbors press for better after-hours detection

Republic Services representatives told the Benton County Disposal Site Advisory Committee on Sept. 11 that staff training, daily cover and on-site equipment are the landfill's primary defenses against working-face fires, while residents and community members urged the committee to press the operator and the county for stronger after-hours detection and independent review.

Brett Davis, public services general manager for Western Oregon, said Republic maintains annual training and on-site resources and aims to keep the working phase small. "We take safety of the landfill very seriously. First and foremost, how we handle and deal with fires is with our people. They're our best asset," Davis said during the presentation. He described a designated "hot loads" area where suspected smoldering loads can be dumped and smothered, and noted a 4,000-gallon water truck and keyed gate access for local fire departments.

The briefing covered site practices including daily dirt cover of the working face, maintaining a small active area (Davis said "less than about 3 quarters of an acre"), and relationships with nearby fire districts. Davis also said the landfill commissioned a risk assessment by SCS Engineering as part of its conditional use permit (CUP) process; he summarized the consultant's conclusion that operations do "not represent a significant fire risk." He acknowledged obstacles to installing continuous monitoring technology at the active working face, saying many monitoring systems need permanent power and internet and "with the constant working phase, it's very difficult to have something like that in place."

Multiple community speakers disputed the operator's account of how quickly fires are detected and contained. Kate Harris — who identified herself during public comment and said she was speaking from the perspective of the local fire community (her spouse is Fire Chief Aaron Harris) — told the committee: "This is not what we have experienced in reality. With these 2 fires, they are both after hours." Harris said motorists on U.S. 99 reported recent summer fires before the operator or county was alerted, and she pressed the committee to consider independent, third-party review of the site's risk assessments that are paid for by the operator.

Other neighbors described seeing uncovered working-face areas and tarps used in lieu of soil. Davis responded that Republic had decommissioned open torches and replaced them with an enclosed burner, and that the company has changed daily practices since earlier eras when the site worked larger uncovered areas. He acknowledged gaps in staffing overnight that make after-hours detection more difficult and said Republic would provide additional information when requested.

Committee members discussed follow-up. The committee chair and members said the item should be revisited when absent member David is present and that staff should compile the committee's questions and provide written follow-up and a possible report to the Board of Commissioners. No formal motion to require an independent audit or to change permit conditions was passed at the meeting.

Ending

Committee members asked Republic and county staff to provide additional documentation and to return with more detail at a future meeting. The committee agreed to compile the questions raised and to consider drafting a report to the Board of Commissioners once all members — including David — can participate.