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Residents press Benton County over Coffin Butte methane and fires as Republic Services presents 2023 report
Summary
Residents and technical experts challenged Republic Services’ 2023 annual report and raised methane, fire and groundwater concerns about Coffin Butte Landfill; Republic described investments in gas collection and monitoring and said it had not received formal EPA enforcement notice. The board kept the record open and asked DSAC to review.
Public comment at the Aug. 6 Benton County Board of Commissioners meeting centered on Coffin Butte Landfill, where residents, a whistleblower and local technical experts urged the county to scrutinize Republic Services’ operations and recent annual reports.
Robert Orton, who identified himself as a Coffin Butte whistleblower, told commissioners he was fired after presenting video showing “active methane leaks on the working face,” and urged the board to “take a deeper look” beyond the company presentation. Several other residents described recurring fires, after‑hours smoke, and personal impacts on air quality and evacuation routes.
Why it matters: speakers said methane leaks pose both immediate fire risk and longer‑term climate and health harms for communities downwind of Coffin Butte. Technical commenters asked…
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