Cowlitz County says leachate line reopened; crews haul 4.1 million gallons after heavy rains

Mike Moss, Cowlitz County public services director, told the Board of County Commissioners that crews reopened a plugged 16-mile leachate line last week and began hauling by tanker in advance of heavy rain.

“We've hauled 4.1 million gallons down the hill in tankers,” Moss said, adding that the county ran as many as 16 trucks per day at the peak and is now running about 10 trucks per day and roughly 12 hours daily. He said pumps at the ponds and an added two‑truck pad have improved loading throughput and that staff began hauling on March 4 in preparation for storm events.

The county uses a 4‑inch pump to fill tankers; Moss said loading takes roughly 20 minutes per truck. To increase conveyance the county also relies on an existing rail transfer facility (RTF) where trucks can be filled from an elevated valve. Staff added extra loading positions at the pump site to increase volume coming down the hill.

Moss said the timing of reopening the line was fortuitous, because the county received about 7 inches of rain over a 72‑hour period; he said the ponds had already receded about a foot from their Saturday high and staff expected another two feet of drawdown by the following Friday. He said trucking and the pumps would likely continue into next week to provide additional pond capacity.

County staff provided photos of loading operations and said they plan to brief the commission again next week with updated pond levels and images. Moss did not present a commission vote or a timeline for permanently changing the county’s leachate conveyance systems; he described ongoing trucking, temporary pad improvements and monitoring as the current response.

The county’s next reported step is another operational update to the commission.