Benton County Planning Commission votes to deny Coffin Butte landfill expansion permit

Benton County Planning Commissioners voted unanimously July 22 to deny Republic Services’ conditional use permit application (LU 24027) to expand Coffin Butte Landfill to the area south of Coffin Butte Road. The motion to deny was moved by Commissioner Schrothers and seconded by Vice Chair Hayman; the vote was 6–0 in favor of denial with Commissioner Cash absent.

The commission’s decision followed a multi-hour deliberation that reviewed a multi‑year, multi‑thousand‑page record and testimony from dozens of residents, agencies and experts. Chair Nick Fowler, who participated remotely, praised the process and the quality of the record while stressing that the commission’s role is to apply the Benton County code: “this really is an example of how the process should work in conditional use permitting.”

Commissioners identified several areas where they concluded the applicant had not met the county’s burden of proof under Benton County Code (BCC) 53.215 — namely that the proposed use must not (1) seriously interfere with uses on adjacent properties, (2) alter the character of the area, or (3) impose an undue burden on public improvements, facilities, utilities or services. Commissioners detailed unresolved concerns about groundwater impacts from blasting and expanded leachate, ongoing…