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SWAC review finds many past landfill conditions still unresolved; county's enforcement resources questioned
Summary
SWAC members reviewing the past land-use section said many historic conditions of approval for the Coffin Butte landfill remain unresolved, and that the county lacks resources to monitor or enforce those conditions.
At a Feb. 8 SWAC/DSAC meeting, members reviewing the past land-use subcommittee's draft said their review found numerous historic conditions of approval for the Coffin Butte landfill that remain unresolved and noted the county does not have the resources to routinely monitor or enforce those conditions.
Mark Yeager, who chaired discussion on the past land-use review, said the subcommittee identified about 86 separate conditions of approval dating to 1974 and that many entries in the draft remain listed as unresolved. He said the subcommittee compiled detailed commentary on whether there is documentary evidence of compliance and that, in many cases, no clear evidence is available in county records. "Benton County has stated that they did not and do not have the resources necessary to monitor and enforce compliance with conditions of approval," he said.
Members pointed to specific items that they consider plainly unmet, including screening and grazing conditions, and noted discrepancies over whether landfill cells are "closed" or merely "capped" from the perspectives of the operator and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The subcommittee reported that some closures cited by the operator are not considered closed by DEQ, and county staff said compliance typically proceeds via complaints rather than proactive monitoring.
Several members asked whether franchise-fee revenues could be used to fund enforcement and monitoring; while SWAC's bylaws assign SWAC an advisory role on franchise-fee spending, members said this specific allocation was beyond the subcommittee's charge and would need separate consideration. No enforcement or budget decision was made at the meeting.
Ending
Members asked that the past land-use findings be clarified and that page-referenced comments be submitted so the work group can incorporate specific corrections and factual citations about compliance records and monitoring responsibilities.
