Umatilla County weighs mandatory curbside recycling, DEQ outlines timelines and funding limits

Umatilla County commissioners held a work session with state recycling advisers and service providers to discuss local implementation of Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act (RMA), including who must be offered service, what the state will fund and potential rates for households.

Rachel Van Wert, an RMA technical advisor for DEQ’s Eastern Region, told the board she and DEQ staff are supporting local efforts to expand curbside and depot recycling. "My name is Rachel Van Wert, and I am one of the RMA technical advisors for Eastern Region," she said, and described DEQ’s role in technical support for rollout.

A DEQ representative explained the statutory context and anticipated timing. The representative said DEQ completed a needs assessment in 2023 and plans the next broader needs assessment in 2027 or 2028, targeting multifamily housing and communities crossing population thresholds. "These old alternative recycling programs that didn't really meet the intent of the law are basically gonna go away July or 01/01/2026," the DEQ representative said, adding that future funding could be requested in the next needs assessment but is conditional on legislative and budget action.

On local cost and program design, staff said franchise providers have requested the board authorize an $8-per-month charge for household curbside service (every-other-week pickup) and $24 per month for multifamily/commercial-style service. Service providers told the board that a mandatory, countywide approach spreads cost across all customers and lowers per-household rates; a subscription model would raise rates and complicate routing. One provider explained that turning service into a subscription model “makes it very difficult for us to run the trucks, the drivers, and actually pay for everything,” and that subscription-only service could push per-household costs higher.

DEQ staff said the RMA will reimburse certain upfront franchise expenses — for example, purchase of equipment, roll carts and transport to sorting facilities — but generally will not cover ongoing operating expenses except in limited cases (for example, when material must be transported more than 50 miles). DEQ also clarified the law requires that the opportunity to recycle be provided for cities over the 4,000 population threshold and within urban growth boundaries, but that the statute does not force an individual resident to use the recycling bin; local ordinances can determine whether customers must hold garbage service (and thus receive recycling service) inside city limits.

Commissioners asked whether the county can authorize franchisees to serve unincorporated areas now while allowing opt-outs; providers replied that an "all-in or all-out" decision for unincorporated areas is simpler and more affordable. Staff warned that adopting a subscription approach would require re-running rate models (which could take additional time) and could increase rates. A commissioner asked for a decision timeline; one proposed deciding by May 11 to avoid late delays in deployment planning.

Next steps: staff will continue to work with DEQ and franchisees on implementation details, pricing models and an outreach plan. Commissioners signaled they would consider whether to authorize service for unincorporated areas now or delay until later needs-assessment cycles.