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Cowlitz County crews haul 4.1 million gallons of landfill leachate as storm damage forces emergency road plan
Summary
After intense rain, county public works reported a reopened 16-mile leachate line and extensive trucking of leachate; county staff also outlined an emergency reroute and upcoming resolution to replace a washed-out section of Toodel Park/Burma Road once property and permits are secured.
COWLITZ COUNTY — County Public Services Director Mike Moss told the Board of County Commissioners that crews have been trucking leachate from a plugged 16-mile landfill discharge line since March and, as of last night, “we've hauled 4.1 million gallons down the hill in tankers,” roughly 850 loads, to lower pond levels before more rain.
The line reopened last Wednesday after a three-week shutdown and crews increased trucking, Moss said, noting crews ran as many as 16 trucks per day at peak and are currently operating roughly 10 trucks daily. He described a recent 72-hour period that delivered heavy rainfall and said staff expect another pond-level reduction of about two feet by Friday if hauling continues.
Why it matters: the county is balancing short-term emergency hauling with a longer-term fix. Moss showed photos of pumping operations and staging areas and said staff added a second pump-out pad to load two trucks simultaneously to increase throughput.
At the same time, Moss reviewed several slides and washouts on county roads caused by the same storm system, including large removals on Clammer/Clamma River Road and a major washout on Toodel Park Road. He said crews removed more than 50 loads from one slide and about 30 from another, and that Tudel/Toodel Park Road has suffered significant bank loss and large woody debris entering the channel.
Officials are preparing an emergency road project temporarily called a reroute off Burma to stabilize access around the failed section, Moss said. The county reported it has about 75% of design work complete, has submitted and revised critical areas and SEPA documents, and expects to issue an emergency contract package to bidders once property negotiations and permits are in place. Moss said staff hope “we can be out there working by the middle of the month.”
Board members pressed staff on impacts to nearby residents and logistics: county staff said some households will receive new addresses and the gun-range parking area will be reconnected to the new alignment. Staff also noted a geotechnical recommendation to place up to 25 feet of fill in a gully, then pave only the first section and leave the gully on gravel to settle before final paving in 2027.
What the board will do next: Moss said the county will bring an emergency resolution to the board and follow it with an emergency contract for construction once property rights and permits are secured. No formal vote was recorded at the meeting.
Sources: Remarks and slides presented by Mike Moss, Public Services Director.
