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County outlines regional sustainable materials project; Coffin Butte methane concerns raised by residents
Summary
Staff updated commissioners on a regional Sustainable Materials Management Project (seed budget $400,000) and consultant work; separate public comment urged independent verification of landfill methane leaks at Coffin Butte and criticized Republic Services for not sharing an EPA inspection report.
County staff briefed the Board on progress toward a regional Sustainable Materials Management Project (SMMP) on July 9, outlining outreach to roughly 14 counties, consultant Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) work, and three planned large meetings culminating in an October regional kickoff. Staff said the proposed spending plan includes roughly $400,000, primarily for consultant work and facilitation, and that RRS will deliver an inventory and cost‑benefit analysis product in time for the kickoff.
Presenters emphasized the project’s upstream focus — shifting policy levers toward materials production, procurement and deconstruction rather than only end‑of‑life disposal — and noted interest from neighboring counties and state agencies (including DEQ).
During public comment, North Benton County resident Ken Eklund raised methane‑leak concerns at Coffin Butte Landfill and said an EPA inspection found large leaks that Republic Services did not share with county staff. Eklund told the board he had submitted materials and a Carbon Mapper explainer to the record and urged commissioners to independently verify Republic’s representations.
County staff said all submitted materials will be included in the meeting packet and the SMMP timeline would accommodate follow‑up with DEQ and other agencies. Commissioners asked for an October kickoff agenda and confirmation of participating counties and elected officials.
What’s next: staff will continue outreach, refine the proposed budget and return with a proposed October agenda; materials submitted by the public will be added to the record.
