DEQ Rejects Reconsideration

by Susan Watkins

8/21/2013 1:26:53 AM

In a brief letter to the Stop the Dump Coalition, the Department of Environmental Quality rejected the Coalition's request that the agency reconsider its decision to approve construction of a 40-foot high wall along the western edge of the dump.

DEQ's decision clears the way for Waste Management to begin construction of its long-sought MSE ("mechanically stabilized earthern") berm.  The berm effectively allows 1,000,000 additional tons of garbage to be deposited at Riverbend over the next three years.

Get Trashed This August!

by Susan Watkins

8/14/2013 2:55:47 PM

The movie Trashed is coming to McMinnville's Third Street Pizza.

Jeremy Irons narrates an eye-opening adventure of discovery as he circles the globe in search of trash (no problem there -- it's everywhere) and solutions to our ever-growing problem.

The movie is as scary as anything Hollywood ever produced, and its message is far more important:  We need to get a grip on our love affair with waste.

Trashed is presented by Community Rights Yamhill County, a local grass-roots movement that is focused on taking control of our garbage, reducing waste and processing it in ways that are far more beneficial to the community than a landfill.  The showing will be August 26 at 6:30 pm at Third Street Pizza, 433 NE Third Street, McMinnville.  Note:  Third Street Pizza recycles, and you should too!

To learn more about Trashed or Community Rights Yamhill County, contact Liz Marlia-Stein at lizmarliastein@gmail.com..

Whither the Dump?

by Susan Watkins

8/13/2013 8:38:22 PM

The next Waste Management Stewardship Committee meeting is set for August 21 at 5:30 pm.  The Committee is scheduled to review proposals submitted for use of Waste Management-owned lands surrounding the dump.  A September meeting will introduce the selected projects to the public.

When particular projects could be implemented -- and who will pay their costs -- remains to be seen, however.  While most of the land is subject to short-term leases and therefore could be made available relatively quickly, many valuable acres, including the Schmidt farm, are tied up for decades.  Projects that would use those lands are not likely to be finalized any time soon.  Zoning may impose additional hurdles to development, unless selected uses are acknowledged as "farm uses" in existing law.

These limitations are fine will many observers, including dump neighbors, who like the agricultural nature of their community and are happy to see these acres remain in farming.

The federal government is considering a different use for closed landfills:  energy production.  The feds are encouraging landfill operators to consider this option when designing their landfills.  Potential energy projects include not only landfill-gas-to-energy operations, such as the one taxpayers helped install at Riverbend, but also photovoltaic (solar) panel and wind turbine fields that would sit atop closed dumps.

Another way to produce energy is to skip the landfill entirely (almost).  An anaerobic digester can process most non-recyclable waste, producing energy and compost along the way.  Some residue remains, requiring a far smaller dump than without the digester.  Or, waste can be burned to produce energy.  Modern burners are much more efficient than the ones that polluted our air in the last century.  Depending on how hot the burner is, ash or a glassy material may be left over.  Ash must be disposed of in a landfill, but the glassy substance produced at very high temperatures is inert and potential useful for road construction.

The real question for Yamhill County is when one or more of these uses might be available here -- two years from now or twenty?

Party! Come to the Dump-the-Dump Potluck

by Stop The Dump Staff

8/8/2013 2:27:15 AM

The Stop the Dump Coalition will hold its second Dump-the-Dump Potluck this coming Sunday, August 11.  All land owners within 3 miles of the dump as well as Coalition Partners, supporters, and people of good will are invited.

The potluck begins at 4:30 PM at the Ellingson Farm barn off Youngberg Hill Road.  Bring your favorite dish to share.  Beverages, washable reusable place settings, and Dump-the-Dump cake will be provided.

Coalition members will discuss the status of the berm (recently approved by DEQ and challenged by the Coalition), the dump's proposed 60-acre expansion, and future actions.  Your ideas and participation are more than welcome -- they are essential if we are to win this battle.

See you at the potluck!  RSVP ilsap@earthlink.net

Dump-the-Dump Potluck

8/11/2013 4:30:00 PM

10075 Youngberg Hill Road
McMinnville
OR
97128

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