DSAC approves 2021 community‑concerns report, amends minutes and forwards 2023 annual‑report comments to commissioners

The Benton County Disposal Site Advisory Committee (DSAC) on Sept. 19 voted to finalize and forward its 2021 community‑concerns report to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and to send a set of committee comments on the 2023 Coffin Butte annual report to the county commissioners for their Oct. 1 review.

Committee members moved and seconded to accept the 2021 community concerns annual report, with an amendment to add language in the introduction clarifying that the single response recorded in the report’s response column may not cover every concern raised in each public comment. After brief discussion the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

The committee also approved amended minutes from the Sept. 11 meeting. Amendments included correcting dates (a fire referenced as occurring in 2023 was corrected to 2024), correcting a name (Bob Cooper spelled as the source of a letter), and clarifying a sentence to show that the Adair fire department, together with Republic, responded to an incident. The amended minutes were approved unanimously.

On the updated 2023 landfill annual report, DSAC approved a motion to prepare and submit a set of guidance comments to the Board of Commissioners. The motion authorized a committee member to compile the committee’s questions and suggested follow‑up items — including requests for additional context on exceedances, enclosed‑flare testing, and clarification on timelines cited in the report — and forward those items to county commissioners ahead of their Oct. 1 meeting.

Ending: The committee’s votes create a formal record that the 2021 community concerns report is ready for submission to DEQ; the DSAC-compiled comments will accompany the 2023 annual report material when commissioners consider it on Oct. 1.