We are all especially busy these days, but here's something any of us can do just sitting at our computer:
Send an email to the Yamhill County Planning Department saying you oppose expansion of Riverbend Landfill.
Many of you did this just one year ago. And your comments made a difference. In 2013, the Planning Commission voted not to approve Waste Management's rezoning application. But that was then, and this is now. After that rezoning ultimately passed the Board of Commissioners, Waste Management submitted the expansion plan under review today.
You can make a difference again with the Planning Commission. Let them know that you oppose expanding a giant mountain of trash onto high value farmland, next to a river, in a seismic hazard zone, on the gateway highway into Yamhill County and McMinnville. Tell them what it is about the dump that affects you most.
The way Waste Management has planned this expansion, the mountain of rotting garbage will move closer to McMinnville -- less than two miles away. Even Waste Management has said that a landfill should not be that close to a town! Moreover, this part of the expansion would be so close to Waste Management's property line that no screening may be possible. Imagine what that will look like every day.
The expansion will also bring the landfill a lot closer to Highway 18, where the garbage will cover high-value farmland and wetland and riparian areas. This new "wing" of the landfill will start just 35' from the highway's edge and rise in a steep 140-foot wall topped with a road part way up. This "wall" will run right down Highway 18 for half a mile!
Riverbend is already the biggest eyesore on the drive between Yamhill County and the coast. Even without this expansion, the dump will welcome visitors to the County for decades to come. The expansion will keep the landfill active at least 15 additional years with equipment, noise, odor, litter, dust, and traffic greeting travelers in our County. It will be the smell in the air that will bid people farewell as they leave our County. This is not how we want visitors to remember our beautiful valley.
We don't need this legacy. Oregon has hundreds of years of landfill capacity already. We don't need to expand any landfill in Oregon, let alone this one.
You can read about the expansion here.
The deadline for comments to the Planning Dept. is 5:00 PM on December 23rd. You can mail a comment to Planning Director Mike Brandt at 525 NE 4th Street, McMinnville, Oregon 97128, or email him: brandtm@co.yamhill.or.us. The Department has promised to post electronic comments online. To see other comments already submitted, go to the address above.
Many of you have sent in your comments already. Thank you! And thank you for all your help over the years.
Best wishes for the Holiday season and the coming New Year.
- the Stop the Dump Coalition
Friday, December 19, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Planning Commission Hears Plenty of Complaints
The Yamhill County Planning Commission heard plenty of complaints from residents and business owners about the blight that is Riverbend Landfill at its hearing last night. The PC is considering the landfill's request to approve expansion of the dump onto adjacent farmland to the north and west.
The adequacy of the application and legal questions dominated the hearing. Although impacts of any expansion on farms in the immediate vicinity of the landfill are a key issue in the hearing, area farmers pointed out that the landfill's consultant interviewed only one farmer and misidentifed crops and other farm uses across the region.
Several local farmers pointed to specific changes they've had to make in their farming practices because the landfill attracts birds and vermin, which then move out into neighboring farm fields. In addition to eating or spoiling crops, birds and other vectors carry bacteria that can make food crops harmful to people.
Jennifer Redmond Noble pointed out that the farm-consumer relationship is growing more and more personal, with consumers eager to meet their farmer and visit their farm -- but not in the shadow of a smelly dump. Ramsey McPhillips pointed out how difficult and time-consuming it is to pick litter out of hay. Plastic bags are baled with the hay (not a welcome sight to a rancher feeding cows) or they clog the baler. The presence of the landfill puts this part of Yamhill County at a definite economic disadvantage.
A host of other issues were raised -- ownership of the various lots, susceptibility of the existing and expanded dump to rupturing in an earthquake, the recent zinc and leachate leaks, Riverbend's utter indifference to sorting waste to keep hazardous or recyclable material (or even "maggot-oozing dead goats") out of the dump.
You can still submit your comments on the expansion proposal! The Planning Department has set the schedule as follows:
5:00 PM Tuesday December 23 -- all parties may submit any additional comments up to this time, including new material
5:00 PM Wednesday December 31 -- all parties may submit rebuttals to any material previously submitted (but may not raise new issues or introduce new facts)
5:00 PM Thursday January 8 -- the applicant may submit a final written argument but no new evidence
7:00 PM Thursday January 15 -- the Planning Commission will take up the hearing again beginning with the Staff Recommendation. No more testimony will be taken. This meeting is expected to be at McMinnville Civic Hall.
For more information, visit http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill.
The adequacy of the application and legal questions dominated the hearing. Although impacts of any expansion on farms in the immediate vicinity of the landfill are a key issue in the hearing, area farmers pointed out that the landfill's consultant interviewed only one farmer and misidentifed crops and other farm uses across the region.
Several local farmers pointed to specific changes they've had to make in their farming practices because the landfill attracts birds and vermin, which then move out into neighboring farm fields. In addition to eating or spoiling crops, birds and other vectors carry bacteria that can make food crops harmful to people.
Jennifer Redmond Noble pointed out that the farm-consumer relationship is growing more and more personal, with consumers eager to meet their farmer and visit their farm -- but not in the shadow of a smelly dump. Ramsey McPhillips pointed out how difficult and time-consuming it is to pick litter out of hay. Plastic bags are baled with the hay (not a welcome sight to a rancher feeding cows) or they clog the baler. The presence of the landfill puts this part of Yamhill County at a definite economic disadvantage.
A host of other issues were raised -- ownership of the various lots, susceptibility of the existing and expanded dump to rupturing in an earthquake, the recent zinc and leachate leaks, Riverbend's utter indifference to sorting waste to keep hazardous or recyclable material (or even "maggot-oozing dead goats") out of the dump.
You can still submit your comments on the expansion proposal! The Planning Department has set the schedule as follows:
5:00 PM Tuesday December 23 -- all parties may submit any additional comments up to this time, including new material
5:00 PM Wednesday December 31 -- all parties may submit rebuttals to any material previously submitted (but may not raise new issues or introduce new facts)
5:00 PM Thursday January 8 -- the applicant may submit a final written argument but no new evidence
7:00 PM Thursday January 15 -- the Planning Commission will take up the hearing again beginning with the Staff Recommendation. No more testimony will be taken. This meeting is expected to be at McMinnville Civic Hall.
For more information, visit http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Hearing on Dump Next Thursday!
The Yamhill County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the latest expansion proposal from Waste Management next Thursday, December 4, at 7:00 PM in McMinnville Civic Hall.
Waste Management proposes to enlarge Riverbend Landfill over the next 20+ years by as much as 37 acres -- 8 to the north of the existing dump and 29 acres to the west. The western portion will run for almost half a mile within 35' of the edge of Highway 18. The smell of rotting garbage already reaches the city. Now the northern acres will bring the landfill that much closer to residential and business neighborhoods on the south side of McMinnville.
The new dump will rise 140' above Highway 18. Trucks will access the dump via a road system that is 90' in the air when it parallels Hwy 18. Imagine those headlights coming at you at night in the winter! The dump's "working face," with its equipment, noise, smell, and dust, will overlook the Highway for most of the 20-30 years of the landfill's projected active life.
You can make a difference. If you don't want this expansion -- which would never have been "necessary" if the landfill had taken only Yamhill County's waste all these years -- contact the Planning Commission and say so. Tell them expansion is not in the best interests of McMinnville or the County and tell them why. Trucks--noise--lights--birds (and their droppings on food we buy at nearby produce stands)--the dirty highway--runoff into our river (see article about the recent zinc release, below)--the reputation Yamhill County is getting as Portland's garbage dump.
Read Waste Management's application here. Click on "Riverbend Expansion Applications" to download the pdf.
Read the County Planning Department's staff report -- and letters from your neighbors and friends already submitted to the Planning Commission -- here.
Come to the Planning Commission hearing:
Thursday, December 4, 2014, 7:00 PM
McMinnville Civic Hall, 2nd & Baker (parking on 1st Street)
This may be our last chance to Stop the Dump!
Waste Management proposes to enlarge Riverbend Landfill over the next 20+ years by as much as 37 acres -- 8 to the north of the existing dump and 29 acres to the west. The western portion will run for almost half a mile within 35' of the edge of Highway 18. The smell of rotting garbage already reaches the city. Now the northern acres will bring the landfill that much closer to residential and business neighborhoods on the south side of McMinnville.
The new dump will rise 140' above Highway 18. Trucks will access the dump via a road system that is 90' in the air when it parallels Hwy 18. Imagine those headlights coming at you at night in the winter! The dump's "working face," with its equipment, noise, smell, and dust, will overlook the Highway for most of the 20-30 years of the landfill's projected active life.
You can make a difference. If you don't want this expansion -- which would never have been "necessary" if the landfill had taken only Yamhill County's waste all these years -- contact the Planning Commission and say so. Tell them expansion is not in the best interests of McMinnville or the County and tell them why. Trucks--noise--lights--birds (and their droppings on food we buy at nearby produce stands)--the dirty highway--runoff into our river (see article about the recent zinc release, below)--the reputation Yamhill County is getting as Portland's garbage dump.
Read Waste Management's application here. Click on "Riverbend Expansion Applications" to download the pdf.
Read the County Planning Department's staff report -- and letters from your neighbors and friends already submitted to the Planning Commission -- here.
Come to the Planning Commission hearing:
Thursday, December 4, 2014, 7:00 PM
McMinnville Civic Hall, 2nd & Baker (parking on 1st Street)
This may be our last chance to Stop the Dump!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Zinc Leak at Landfill
Unbeknownst to us, last May more zinc leached out of Riverbend Landfill than is allowed under its permit or federal law. DEQ forbids the landfill to discharge more than 0.20 mg/L (milligrams per liter) of zinc during any one storm event. On May 9, 2014, the landfill measured a discharge of 0.42 mg/L, which exceeded the limit by more than 50%, a "Class I violation."
"Class I violations" are the most serious, and DEQ has issued a pre-enforcement notice to Riverbend. The notice can result in assessment of civil penalties for each day the Landfill was in violation.
Zinc is an especially toxic substance. As noted by DEQ in its notice, "Exceeding total zinc permit limits can negatively impact stream habitat and aquatic species."
The website stormwaterx.com describes the effects of zinc this way:
"Class I violations" are the most serious, and DEQ has issued a pre-enforcement notice to Riverbend. The notice can result in assessment of civil penalties for each day the Landfill was in violation.
Zinc is an especially toxic substance. As noted by DEQ in its notice, "Exceeding total zinc permit limits can negatively impact stream habitat and aquatic species."
The website stormwaterx.com describes the effects of zinc this way:
Adverse human impacts:
Zinc is an important dietary element, but concentrations above 5 mg/L can impart an unpleasant taste to water.[i] Exposure to large amounts of zinc can cause stomach cramps and anemia, and also decrease good cholesterol.[ii]
Adverse impacts on the environment:
In
marine waters, aquatic species suffer acute effects from zinc at 90
μg/L [note: 0.42 mg/L equals 420 ug/L]. Adverse effects of dissolved zinc, including altered behavior,
blood and serum chemistry, impaired reproduction, and reduced growth,
occur to salmon at very low levels (5.6 μg/L in freshwater).[iii] In mammals, ingesting large amounts of zinc can cause infertility and underweight offspring.[iv]
Zinc is often found in the water supply as a dissolve constituent since zinc compounds are highly soluble in water.[xiv]
One example is rainwater picking up zinc when coming into contact with
galvanized surfaces. Galvanized roofs are a common source of zinc in
stormwater. Zinc is also released to the environment through tire wear.
Tire tread material contains approximately 1% zinc by weight.[xv]
This is yet one more example of why a landfill should not be sited -- and definitely not expanded -- near our waterways.
To register your disappointment with Waste Management's management of Riverbend Landfill, contact Bob Schwarz at DEQ (SCHWARZ.Bob@deq.state.or.us) and Mike Brandt, Yamhill County Planning Director, at brandtm@co.yamhill.or.us.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Air Quality Meeting Tuesday!
by Ilsa Perse, Stop the Dump Coalition
This Tuesday will be the last open-to-the-public meeting before Waste Management presents its expansion plans for Riverbend Landfill to the Planning Commission on December 4th. A big turn-out this Tuesday will help make the case that the dump and its odors are NOT compatible with living and farming in our beautiful valley.
The Stop the Dump Coalition will be bringing many issues to DEQ's attention. Please come share your ideas with Gary Andes, DEQ Air Quality monitor for the dump.
WHAT: The semi-annual DEQ/Riverbend Odor Meeting
WHERE: McMinnville Senior Center, McDaniel Lane, Mac
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18; 6:00 PM Pizza and kibitzing; 7: 00 PM Meeting
WHY: Because the dump still stinks and DEQ has made it very hard to report the problem. Gary Andes from DEQ needs to hear from folks like you about your experiences dealing with landfill odors and with DEQ's odor-reporting system, or lack thereof. (We'll have report forms at the meeting.)
DEQ has not posted an air monitoring report on its Riverbend website (http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm) since 2012. Highway 18 outside the landfill is filthy. The odor reporting system is designed to keep DEQ from ever having to investigate complaints.
Bring your own air quality issues to the meeting!
SEE YOU TUESDAY!
This Tuesday will be the last open-to-the-public meeting before Waste Management presents its expansion plans for Riverbend Landfill to the Planning Commission on December 4th. A big turn-out this Tuesday will help make the case that the dump and its odors are NOT compatible with living and farming in our beautiful valley.
The Stop the Dump Coalition will be bringing many issues to DEQ's attention. Please come share your ideas with Gary Andes, DEQ Air Quality monitor for the dump.
WHAT: The semi-annual DEQ/Riverbend Odor Meeting
WHERE: McMinnville Senior Center, McDaniel Lane, Mac
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18; 6:00 PM Pizza and kibitzing; 7: 00 PM Meeting
WHY: Because the dump still stinks and DEQ has made it very hard to report the problem. Gary Andes from DEQ needs to hear from folks like you about your experiences dealing with landfill odors and with DEQ's odor-reporting system, or lack thereof. (We'll have report forms at the meeting.)
DEQ has not posted an air monitoring report on its Riverbend website (http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm) since 2012. Highway 18 outside the landfill is filthy. The odor reporting system is designed to keep DEQ from ever having to investigate complaints.
Bring your own air quality issues to the meeting!
SEE YOU TUESDAY!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Expansion "Community Meeting" Tuesday!
When the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners rezoned Riverbend Landfill to "Exclusive Farm Use," they required Riverbend's owner, landfill giant Waste Management, to hold a public meeting to introduce their expansion plan to the community.
That meeting is this Tuesday night, November 11, Veterans Day. Questions and comments from the meeting will be entered into the record for the hearing that the Planning Commission will hold on the expansion application. To ensure that your questions and comments become part of the record, put them in writing and insist that Waste Management respond in writing.
What:
"Community meeting" Tuesday, November 11, at 6:15 pm at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom, 325 NE Third Street in Mac. "Light supper" to be provided.
Planning Commission hearing, Thursday, December 4, 7:00 pm in the McMinnville Civic Center (corner of Baker and 2nd Streets in Mac). The Commission could reach a decision that same night, but in the past has put the decision off until January to allow the parties to submit follow-up comments.
To download Waste Management's expansion, go to http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill and look for "Riverbend Expansion Applications."
That meeting is this Tuesday night, November 11, Veterans Day. Questions and comments from the meeting will be entered into the record for the hearing that the Planning Commission will hold on the expansion application. To ensure that your questions and comments become part of the record, put them in writing and insist that Waste Management respond in writing.
What:
"Community meeting" Tuesday, November 11, at 6:15 pm at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom, 325 NE Third Street in Mac. "Light supper" to be provided.
Planning Commission hearing, Thursday, December 4, 7:00 pm in the McMinnville Civic Center (corner of Baker and 2nd Streets in Mac). The Commission could reach a decision that same night, but in the past has put the decision off until January to allow the parties to submit follow-up comments.
To download Waste Management's expansion, go to http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill and look for "Riverbend Expansion Applications."
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Riverbend Files for Expansion
Riverbend Landfill's expansion plans are sitting on the desk of Yamhill County Planning Director Mike Brandt. The applications for Site Design Review and a Flood Plain Development permit were filed this morning, November 6. The County deemed the papers complete almost immediately and posted them on the Planning Department web page this afternoon.
Although Waste Management has had months or even years to prepare the applications, County residents and businesses get only a month to review the materials. The matter will be submitted to the County Planning Commission for hearing at the Commission's regular meeting December 4.
In the meantime, Waste Management will discuss the expansion proposal at a "community meeting" next Tuesday evening, November 11. This meeting is required by the ordinance that rezoned the existing dump from Public Works/Safety to Exclusive Farm Use. At the meeting, Waste Management will present its plans and answer questions. Information generated at the meeting is supposed to be made part of the record that the Planning Commission must consider when it reviews the applications.
Because it's not known at this time whether the community meeting will be recorded, participants are urged to submit questions and comments in writing and to ask Waste Management to put all answers in writing. Alternatively, save your comments, written and oral, for the Planning Commission hearing.
The process:
"Community meeting" next Tuesday, November 11, at 6:15 pm at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom, 325 NE Third Street in Mac. Everyone invited; "light supper" to be provided; information becomes part of the "record" of the SDR review process.
Planning Commission hearing, Thursday, December 4, 7:00 pm in the McMinnville Civic Center on the corner of Baker and 2nd Streets in Mac. The Commission could reach a decision that same night, but judging by past practice will probably put the decision off until January to allow the parties to submit follow-up comments.
Board of Commissioners hearing, date to be decided. This hearing takes place only if someone appeals the Planning Commission's decision. As they consistently have in the past, the Board of Commissioners can wholly ignore the Planning Commission's decision and reasoning.
The Board's decision is final unless appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals.
The application:
You can download the application documents at http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill (under "Riverbend Expansion Applications"). (Warning: Downloading the SDR app may take a while.)
Although Waste Management has had months or even years to prepare the applications, County residents and businesses get only a month to review the materials. The matter will be submitted to the County Planning Commission for hearing at the Commission's regular meeting December 4.
In the meantime, Waste Management will discuss the expansion proposal at a "community meeting" next Tuesday evening, November 11. This meeting is required by the ordinance that rezoned the existing dump from Public Works/Safety to Exclusive Farm Use. At the meeting, Waste Management will present its plans and answer questions. Information generated at the meeting is supposed to be made part of the record that the Planning Commission must consider when it reviews the applications.
Because it's not known at this time whether the community meeting will be recorded, participants are urged to submit questions and comments in writing and to ask Waste Management to put all answers in writing. Alternatively, save your comments, written and oral, for the Planning Commission hearing.
The process:
"Community meeting" next Tuesday, November 11, at 6:15 pm at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom, 325 NE Third Street in Mac. Everyone invited; "light supper" to be provided; information becomes part of the "record" of the SDR review process.
Planning Commission hearing, Thursday, December 4, 7:00 pm in the McMinnville Civic Center on the corner of Baker and 2nd Streets in Mac. The Commission could reach a decision that same night, but judging by past practice will probably put the decision off until January to allow the parties to submit follow-up comments.
Board of Commissioners hearing, date to be decided. This hearing takes place only if someone appeals the Planning Commission's decision. As they consistently have in the past, the Board of Commissioners can wholly ignore the Planning Commission's decision and reasoning.
The Board's decision is final unless appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals.
The application:
You can download the application documents at http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/content/riverbend-landfill (under "Riverbend Expansion Applications"). (Warning: Downloading the SDR app may take a while.)
Monday, November 3, 2014
Resource Agency Dinners in November!
It may be too late to dine but not to hear the good news
about what our local resource lands organizations have been up to. Attend their dinners this month!
Farm Bureau
dinner: Saturday, November 8, at
5:30 at Golden Valley Brew Pub, Third and Johnson in McMinnville. George
Taylor, former state climatologist and noted climate-change denier, will
speak. $18 per person. Contact Marie Schmidt at
mschmidt@linfield.edu for more information.
Friends of Yamhill County: Monday, November 10, at
Horse Radish in Carlton. Mary Kyle McCurdy, Policy Director and Staff
Attorney from 1000 Friends of Oregon will be the featured speaker. One of
the most respected land use attorneys in Oregon who has been intimately
involved with urban growth boundary issues in McMinnville and Newberg, McCurdy
will share post-election insights into the 2015 Oregon legislative
session. Contact Ilsa Perse at ilsap@earthlink.net for
reservations and info.
Soil and Water Conservation District annual dinner and auction: Wednesday, November 5, at 5:30 at the
McMinnville Community Center, 600 NE Evans in Mac. $15. Cory
Owens, resource soil scientist with the Natural Resource Conservation Services,
will speak. For reservations and
info contact admin@yamhillswcd.org.
Yamhill Watershed Stewardship Fund dinner and auction: Saturday, November 8, at 6:00 at the McMinnville Grand
Ballroom, 325 Third Street in Mac.
$15 suggested donation. For
info contact ywsf08@yahoo.com.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Whatchamacolumn: Bladine Gets It Right!
Jeb Bladine's Whatchamacolumn in the October 31st News-Register exposes Waste Management's latest shenanigan: offering funds to cash-strapped County governments shortly before those communities will have to weigh in on dump expansion.
The national company just "happened" to choose Yamhill County for $150,000 in grants to be doled out this fall -- just weeks before the company submits its plans for expansion of Riverbend Landfill.
According to Bladine, WM and the County have created a joint partnership to parcel out the funds to deserving local projects. Our County Commissioners may not see their actions this way, but from here it appears that County government is working hand-in-hand with a private corporation to buy support for the expansion plan.
This is only the latest in a series of efforts by Waste Management that could be perceived as "buying community support" for extending the smelly, noisy, water-threatening life of its dump on the banks of the South Yamhill River. The Stewardship Lands effort and the fund the County set up to channel WM license fees directly into projects favored by influential County leaders are two others. (For details on the Stewardship projects, see "Stewardship Land Projects: The Right Move? below.)
Of course, the County has already approved a rezoning that was widely viewed as a prerequisite to any expansion. But other jurisdictions will have the chance to file objections or propose conditions when the plans come before the County Planning Commission (which could be as soon as December or January). We trust those agencies won't allowed their good sense to be swayed by Waste Management's dollars.
We're told that communities within Metro are also being offered cash by Waste Management. Metro of course must soon decide whether to extend contracts with Waste Management that allow a percentage of Metro waste to come to Riverbend.
Local governments aren't the only parties with an opportunity to weigh in on expansion soon. Individual residents and businesses can also participate -- even if they don't get any Waste Management money! First up, a "community meeting" to be held by Waste Management at 6:15 pm, Tuesday, November 11 in the McMinnville Grand Ballroom (see related story below, "Witches and Goblins and Landfills, Oh My!").
The national company just "happened" to choose Yamhill County for $150,000 in grants to be doled out this fall -- just weeks before the company submits its plans for expansion of Riverbend Landfill.
According to Bladine, WM and the County have created a joint partnership to parcel out the funds to deserving local projects. Our County Commissioners may not see their actions this way, but from here it appears that County government is working hand-in-hand with a private corporation to buy support for the expansion plan.
This is only the latest in a series of efforts by Waste Management that could be perceived as "buying community support" for extending the smelly, noisy, water-threatening life of its dump on the banks of the South Yamhill River. The Stewardship Lands effort and the fund the County set up to channel WM license fees directly into projects favored by influential County leaders are two others. (For details on the Stewardship projects, see "Stewardship Land Projects: The Right Move? below.)
Of course, the County has already approved a rezoning that was widely viewed as a prerequisite to any expansion. But other jurisdictions will have the chance to file objections or propose conditions when the plans come before the County Planning Commission (which could be as soon as December or January). We trust those agencies won't allowed their good sense to be swayed by Waste Management's dollars.
We're told that communities within Metro are also being offered cash by Waste Management. Metro of course must soon decide whether to extend contracts with Waste Management that allow a percentage of Metro waste to come to Riverbend.
Local governments aren't the only parties with an opportunity to weigh in on expansion soon. Individual residents and businesses can also participate -- even if they don't get any Waste Management money! First up, a "community meeting" to be held by Waste Management at 6:15 pm, Tuesday, November 11 in the McMinnville Grand Ballroom (see related story below, "Witches and Goblins and Landfills, Oh My!").
Stewardship Land Projects: The Right Move?
by Kris Bledsoe, Upper Island Farm, Grand Island
Waste Management has offered 450 acres near Riverbend Landfill to the community and established a Stewardship committee of hand-picked locals to help make future plans for that land.
One of the immediate projects is the establishment of a collaboration of small farmers to farm a portion of that land adjacent to the old Whiteson dump. In return Waste Management is using the names of these organizations to help them along in the application process for a proposed expansion of the Landfill.
We have consistently declared that the existence and expansion of the dump is now and will continue to be harmful and is inconsistent with surrounding farms, land value and our local vineyards. Some of the small farmers who are planning to take on the dump land are relatively new to our area and do not fully understand how they are being used.
I encourage you to make your concerns known to each organization. Some of you are probably members of these organizations and do not realize the plans and commitments that are being made. Ask questions and decide for yourself if taking on dump land is consistent with the vision you have for the farming community. The farm groups that are involved are wonderful groups; I fully support their visions. They have much to add to our County. I just wonder if this is the right property to use.
The farm groups involved should not be vilified, rather they should be admired for their willingness to take on new ventures. They are being used because of their deep-seated passions for farming and their strong desire to start up some very useful programs. I suggest that the community should gather together and help these groups find another location.
The farm groups are:
GROW International will provide administration and project management under the leadership of farming advocate Jerry Tindall, who founded GROW International to "encourage global stewardship of land, food, and family." GROW International works with non-profits, governments, and others to educate and empower individuals and communities to nurture land, food and family.
Yamhill Valley Grown will help the farmers market and sell their food, under the direction of Heidi Lindell. Yamhill Valley Grown is an aggregator and online marketplace of food grown and produced in the Yamhill Valley. The group has membership options that allow people to support the local food system and has developed a local food resource guide for the community.
Yamhill Valley Farmers Network, managed by Beth Satterwhite, will provide the farmers access to information and education as part of the group's mission to foster a strong and supportive local farmer community. The Network was established in response to farmer feedback gathered through the Nourish Yamhill Valley Food System Assessment Process held in 2012, which identified challenges facing local farm businesses and the farming community.
Barbara Boyer envisioned the overall project and assembled the project partners. She will serve as mentor to the farmers. Boyer is also working through the Oregon Farm to School Council to strengthen the farm-to-school movement by creating infrastructure needed to provide local food to local children.
Each of these folks has a Facebook presence. If you think what they plan to do is great, let them know. If you have concerns, let them know.
Waste Management has offered 450 acres near Riverbend Landfill to the community and established a Stewardship committee of hand-picked locals to help make future plans for that land.
One of the immediate projects is the establishment of a collaboration of small farmers to farm a portion of that land adjacent to the old Whiteson dump. In return Waste Management is using the names of these organizations to help them along in the application process for a proposed expansion of the Landfill.
We have consistently declared that the existence and expansion of the dump is now and will continue to be harmful and is inconsistent with surrounding farms, land value and our local vineyards. Some of the small farmers who are planning to take on the dump land are relatively new to our area and do not fully understand how they are being used.
I encourage you to make your concerns known to each organization. Some of you are probably members of these organizations and do not realize the plans and commitments that are being made. Ask questions and decide for yourself if taking on dump land is consistent with the vision you have for the farming community. The farm groups that are involved are wonderful groups; I fully support their visions. They have much to add to our County. I just wonder if this is the right property to use.
The farm groups involved should not be vilified, rather they should be admired for their willingness to take on new ventures. They are being used because of their deep-seated passions for farming and their strong desire to start up some very useful programs. I suggest that the community should gather together and help these groups find another location.
The farm groups are:
GROW International will provide administration and project management under the leadership of farming advocate Jerry Tindall, who founded GROW International to "encourage global stewardship of land, food, and family." GROW International works with non-profits, governments, and others to educate and empower individuals and communities to nurture land, food and family.
Yamhill Valley Grown will help the farmers market and sell their food, under the direction of Heidi Lindell. Yamhill Valley Grown is an aggregator and online marketplace of food grown and produced in the Yamhill Valley. The group has membership options that allow people to support the local food system and has developed a local food resource guide for the community.
Yamhill Valley Farmers Network, managed by Beth Satterwhite, will provide the farmers access to information and education as part of the group's mission to foster a strong and supportive local farmer community. The Network was established in response to farmer feedback gathered through the Nourish Yamhill Valley Food System Assessment Process held in 2012, which identified challenges facing local farm businesses and the farming community.
Barbara Boyer envisioned the overall project and assembled the project partners. She will serve as mentor to the farmers. Boyer is also working through the Oregon Farm to School Council to strengthen the farm-to-school movement by creating infrastructure needed to provide local food to local children.
Each of these folks has a Facebook presence. If you think what they plan to do is great, let them know. If you have concerns, let them know.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Witches and Goblins and Landfills, Oh My!
When you open the door this Halloween night, the scariest thing you might see is: Landfill Expansion!
Waste Management will bring its expansion plans a step closer to reality (and to your bedroom window) when it stages a "Community Meeting" Tuesday, November 11, in McMinnville.
The Community Meeting is required by the rezoning ordinance adopted last winter by the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners. According to County Planning Director Mike Brandt, this meeting is supposed to be a place where the community can get its questions about the proposed expansion answered.
This is an important step in the expansion process; it's still possible to stop expansion in its tracks! Attend this meeting to find out what Waste Management proposes; go to the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioner hearings to tell your decision-makers what you think of those plans.
The meeting will be run by a facilitator, Melanie Chase of Change Solutions in Portland. Chase is not connected to Waste Management, according to Brandt, who approved her selection.
Waste Management has yet to submit an expansion plan to the County. Brandt hopes the landfill's owner will take comments made at the meeting into consideration when drafting its expansion proposal. One key area Brandt will be looking for is how Waste Management will incorporate the "green technology" it promised the County into its overall plan.
Comments made at the meeting are supposed to be considered part of the record before the County Planning Commission, which will review and vote on the proposal once it's been formally submitted. Unless community members submit their comments in writing at the November 11 meeting, however, it's probably best to resubmit them to the Planning Commission directly. A date for Planning Commission review will not be set until after Waste Management's proposal is complete.
According to Waste Management's website, the November 11 meeting will begin with sandwiches and "informal Q & A" at 6:15 pm; the company will make its presentation between 7:00 and 9:00. The meeting will be held at the McMinnville Ballroom, upstairs at 325 NE Third Street in Mac. An elevator is available at the rear of the building.
Waste Management will bring its expansion plans a step closer to reality (and to your bedroom window) when it stages a "Community Meeting" Tuesday, November 11, in McMinnville.
The Community Meeting is required by the rezoning ordinance adopted last winter by the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners. According to County Planning Director Mike Brandt, this meeting is supposed to be a place where the community can get its questions about the proposed expansion answered.
This is an important step in the expansion process; it's still possible to stop expansion in its tracks! Attend this meeting to find out what Waste Management proposes; go to the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioner hearings to tell your decision-makers what you think of those plans.
The meeting will be run by a facilitator, Melanie Chase of Change Solutions in Portland. Chase is not connected to Waste Management, according to Brandt, who approved her selection.
Waste Management has yet to submit an expansion plan to the County. Brandt hopes the landfill's owner will take comments made at the meeting into consideration when drafting its expansion proposal. One key area Brandt will be looking for is how Waste Management will incorporate the "green technology" it promised the County into its overall plan.
Comments made at the meeting are supposed to be considered part of the record before the County Planning Commission, which will review and vote on the proposal once it's been formally submitted. Unless community members submit their comments in writing at the November 11 meeting, however, it's probably best to resubmit them to the Planning Commission directly. A date for Planning Commission review will not be set until after Waste Management's proposal is complete.
According to Waste Management's website, the November 11 meeting will begin with sandwiches and "informal Q & A" at 6:15 pm; the company will make its presentation between 7:00 and 9:00. The meeting will be held at the McMinnville Ballroom, upstairs at 325 NE Third Street in Mac. An elevator is available at the rear of the building.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
A Not So Hidden Yamhill County Tourist Attraction
As the summer season begins to wane, we need
to remind the myriad of tourists visiting our neighborhood that there is one
tourist attraction that goes uncited in the local literature. This is Mt. Trashmore or what is more commonly
called Riverbend Landfill.
For a mere $13 per car entry fee, visitors can
drive to the top of this mountain of trash and get a 360-degree panoramic view
of the Willamette Valley. They will also
be able to see our marvelous farms and vineyards, historic towns and grand
rolling hills (of course, they should remember that what they see can see them).
With a deep breath, visitors can inhale the scents
of garbage imported from the Portland Metropolitan area. If they have a discerning nose, they might be
able to distinguish between the aromas of Portland's waste and Hillsboro's
garbage. Tourists can set up a game with
their kids to see who can locate the greatest number of toxic chemical
containers, recyclable items, and compostables, all of which flow out of the
garbage trucks and local pickups only to be buried and blended together to form
this obnoxious landmark.
This excursion will also allow visitors to educate
themselves and their children about geography and the impacts that this
landfill, built on the banks of the Yamhill River, will have when it slides
into that river during the forthcoming 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
Wow, just one trip will expose our tourists to a vast
valley view, aroma therapy, geological futurism and the political power of a
Texas corporation.
Shush. On the other hand we would be much better
off if the landfill did not exist and its so-called virtues did not blemish our
farmland.
-- travel commentary by A. Hollander
Monday, September 1, 2014
How Much Would You Pay to Close the Dump??
For a great article on the dump and the community's effort to let it reach capacity and close, see the September issue of The Connector magazine
(http://www.joomag.com/magazine/pr-for-people-monthly-september-2014/0504583001409256953).
The article quotes neighbor Ramsey McPhillips, Stop the Dump president Ilsa Perse, and former Waste Not Board member Gary Langenwalter.
Langenwalter offers an interesting alternative to expansion: Instead of dump owner Waste Management paying the County to keep the dump open, let citizens pay the County to close it and "quit ruining the environment" (not to mention our quality of life). At an estimated annual license fee of $1.2 million, that's only about $12 per County resident. Many businesses, residents, and visitors have contributed a lot more than that over the years to Stop the Dump.
How much would you pay to close the dump?
(http://www.joomag.com/magazine/pr-for-people-monthly-september-2014/0504583001409256953).
The article quotes neighbor Ramsey McPhillips, Stop the Dump president Ilsa Perse, and former Waste Not Board member Gary Langenwalter.
Langenwalter offers an interesting alternative to expansion: Instead of dump owner Waste Management paying the County to keep the dump open, let citizens pay the County to close it and "quit ruining the environment" (not to mention our quality of life). At an estimated annual license fee of $1.2 million, that's only about $12 per County resident. Many businesses, residents, and visitors have contributed a lot more than that over the years to Stop the Dump.
How much would you pay to close the dump?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
SWAC to Hold Work Session on Hauling Franchises
The Yamhill County Solid Waste Advisory Committee will hold a "work meeting" to consider the County's waste hauling franchises. The County currently has exclusive agreements for pick up of waste from residences and businesses with Waste Management (north County, in Newberg area) and Recology (the rest of the County, including McMinnville area). No other hauler can be paid by a consumer to haul waste in the unincorporated County. (Note: Cities award their own franchises.)
County franchises are awarded for 10 years, but historically the franchisees have asked the County to renew the contracts before the end of the 10-year term, often several years early. Although the franchises allow such extensions, County residents question this practice, which essentially awards a perpetual monopoly to the current franchisees. Critics of this "automatic" renewal practice, including the Stop the Dump Coalition, would like to see the County put the franchises up for bid.
When the two franchisees were locally-owned, granting monopoly status made a sort of sense. Dollars spent for waste hauling remained in the community. The goal of minimizing customer costs through a competitive bid process was outweighed by the benefits of protecting local business owners and their employees.
But now profits from waste hauling go elsewhere -- to Texas in the case of Waste Management and California for Recology. Awarding a monopoly to these franchisees no longer provides any special benefit to Yamhill County.
When Columbia County went to bid with its hauling contracts earlier this year, Republic Services submitted the lowest bid and won the contract. Republic owns Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County. Previously Waste Management had hauled Columbia's waste to Riverbend.
If Yamhill County went to bid, who knows what might happen? Republic might bid for our waste. Or Waste Connections out of Washington might make us an offer. Even better, little local vendors like Water Truck Services might submit the winning bid to haul specific types of waste, in their case grape crush leftovers. Or Recology and Waste Management might discover that they can haul our waste for less than they have been charging.
It's worth a try. Moreover, since our County Commissioners have made the "low cost" of Riverbend Landfill a significant reason for supporting landfill expansion, we should go to bid if only to determine that in fact we are receiving the "lowest cost."
Make your preferences known at the SWAC meeting: Tuesday, September 30, 4:00pm, in room 32 of the Yamhill County Courthouse. Or send your comments to Sherrie Mathison at mathiss@co.yamhill.or.us or Commissioner Mary Starrett, who is the Solid Waste liaison, at starrettm@co.yamhill.or.us.
County franchises are awarded for 10 years, but historically the franchisees have asked the County to renew the contracts before the end of the 10-year term, often several years early. Although the franchises allow such extensions, County residents question this practice, which essentially awards a perpetual monopoly to the current franchisees. Critics of this "automatic" renewal practice, including the Stop the Dump Coalition, would like to see the County put the franchises up for bid.
When the two franchisees were locally-owned, granting monopoly status made a sort of sense. Dollars spent for waste hauling remained in the community. The goal of minimizing customer costs through a competitive bid process was outweighed by the benefits of protecting local business owners and their employees.
But now profits from waste hauling go elsewhere -- to Texas in the case of Waste Management and California for Recology. Awarding a monopoly to these franchisees no longer provides any special benefit to Yamhill County.
When Columbia County went to bid with its hauling contracts earlier this year, Republic Services submitted the lowest bid and won the contract. Republic owns Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County. Previously Waste Management had hauled Columbia's waste to Riverbend.
If Yamhill County went to bid, who knows what might happen? Republic might bid for our waste. Or Waste Connections out of Washington might make us an offer. Even better, little local vendors like Water Truck Services might submit the winning bid to haul specific types of waste, in their case grape crush leftovers. Or Recology and Waste Management might discover that they can haul our waste for less than they have been charging.
It's worth a try. Moreover, since our County Commissioners have made the "low cost" of Riverbend Landfill a significant reason for supporting landfill expansion, we should go to bid if only to determine that in fact we are receiving the "lowest cost."
Make your preferences known at the SWAC meeting: Tuesday, September 30, 4:00pm, in room 32 of the Yamhill County Courthouse. Or send your comments to Sherrie Mathison at mathiss@co.yamhill.or.us or Commissioner Mary Starrett, who is the Solid Waste liaison, at starrettm@co.yamhill.or.us.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
The Riverbend Landfill Fight Continues
by Sid Friedman of Friends of Yamhill County
We are battling the gigantic Waste Management corporation (WM) in its plans to expand what is already the largest regional garbage
dump in western Oregon. This huge
Texas-based multi-national wants to dump an
additional 15 billion pounds of waste on Yamhill County farmland
next to the South Yamhill River near McMinnville.
Most of the garbage comes from out-of-county. Portland Metro is the largest source.
As many of you already know, Friends of
Yamhill County (FYC) and its partners in the Stop the Dump Coalition suffered a
significant setback in May when our attorney’s office missed a key filing
date.
FYC, the Coalition, the Willamette
Valley Wineries Association, and McPhillips Farms, Inc. had appealed the County’s
rezoning of the dump from Public Works/Safety to Exclusive Farm Use (EFU). The rezoning was
part of a complex scheme to abet expansion of the growing mountain of garbage
between Highway 18 and the riverbank.
WM wasted
no time in requesting that the case be dismissed. Now, at the urging of our attorneys, an appeal of
the dismissal has been filed. The
argument to reinstate our appeal of the rezoning decision will be heard at the Oregon Court of Appeals
in mid-August.
The Land Use argument was (and is) a
very strong one, though, of course there was no guarantee of a reversal of the
County decision. But the zone change appeal is only one way we are fighting
expansion of this mountain of out-of-county garbage piling up at Riverbend. The Department of Environmental Quality’s
permitting process and the County’s review of the actual expansion application are
other key leverage points that present additional opportunities to stop the
expansion.
Despite this brief setback, we have extremely
strong arguments and are slowly gaining traction and turning the tide. With your help, your participation, and your support
we and our partners will continue working as hard as ever to finally enter the
21st century and close the dump.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Put Hauling Contracts Out to Bid
By Brian Doyle, former member and chair, Yamhill County Solid
Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC)
Renewal of the Waste Management Newberg hauling franchise is on
the agenda for the SWAC meeting next Wednesday, July 16. I
recommend against renewing the franchise at this time.
Haulers pick up
garbage from residences and businesses under a special license
(franchise) from the County. At present, Waste Management serves
Newberg and the north County area, and Recology serves McMinnville and
the south County. In the past the SWAC has
routinely renewed the 10-year hauler franchises even when the existing franchise
contracts had several years remaining. This has effectively prevented any
competitive bidding for the last 40 years.
I know that SWAC keeps in touch with
other counties and so is aware of their rates and hauling practices. This helps
to assure that the rates in Yamhill County are reasonable. However, no level of
monitoring or auditing can replace a competitive market place. Neither Waste
Management (WM) nor Recology needs the sort of long-term financial assurance that the
current system provided for the original local haulers in 1973.
WM and Recology are both able and well-positioned to operate in a
competitive environment. County residents will be best served when other
companies can bid on hauling services. Rather than commit to another 10-year
contract, I suggest the County use the time before the contract expires to
review the structure of the current franchise system.
There are several elements
that I think should be revised:
1. Hauling contract duration should be shorter. The 10-year length
is not reasonable. Other jurisdictions put their hauling contracts out to bid
every two years.
2. Granting exclusive rights to ALL commercial waste hauling
stifles potential recycling/reuse of some wastes. While it makes sense to
include weekly residential routes in the franchise, some other wastes or
business categories don’t need to be included. For example, large containers that are hauled directly to
disposal do not need to be included in a franchise system designed for residential routes.
3. I see no reason why irregular (on demand) hauling of unique
wastes should be constrained by a single franchise system.
In
short, I think it is appropriate for the County to suspend franchise renewals
while it undertakes a review of, and potentially revises, its 40-year old
franchise system.
If you agree, contact SWAC care of Sherrie Mathison at mathiss@co.yamhill.or.us and let them know you want the hauling contracts put to bid!
Note: Columbia County, which previously disposed of its waste at Riverbend, went to bid earlier this year; now its waste will be hauled to Coffin Butte.
Monday, June 2, 2014
What Next?
Now that the Stop the Dump Coalition's appeal of Yamhill County's decision to rezone the dump as farmland has been formally dismissed by the Land Use Board of Appeals, you might be wondering, "What next?" As it turns out, plenty!
According to press reports, Waste Management (WM) will be filing its expansion request with the County and the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in January 2015. Some time before then, WM might well ask DEQ to approve a second stretch of berm. The first section of berm is nearing completion. This 40-foot-high wall will allow WM to keep the dump open three more years, accepting more than 500,000 tons of waste a year. An additional stretch of wall would keep the dump open even longer.
We argued vigorously that the first berm section is not engineered correctly and is likely to collapse when the looming magnitude 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake strikes. WM representative Paul Burns once assured us that all new (post-initial berm) construction at the dump would meet the 9.0 standard; if plans for a new berm or for expansion aren't so engineered, we will argue vigorously again.
Moreover, any expansion must pass Site Design Review (SDR) before it can be approved by the County. Most of the arguments we would have made on appeal of the rezoning can be made during the SDR process. In fact, WM and the County repeated time after time during the rezoning hearings that many of the concerns being raised weren't relevant to zoning and could only be addressed during SDR.
Follow us by email (see right-hand column to sign up) to keep posted about the SDR schedule and other upcoming events.
According to press reports, Waste Management (WM) will be filing its expansion request with the County and the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in January 2015. Some time before then, WM might well ask DEQ to approve a second stretch of berm. The first section of berm is nearing completion. This 40-foot-high wall will allow WM to keep the dump open three more years, accepting more than 500,000 tons of waste a year. An additional stretch of wall would keep the dump open even longer.
We argued vigorously that the first berm section is not engineered correctly and is likely to collapse when the looming magnitude 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake strikes. WM representative Paul Burns once assured us that all new (post-initial berm) construction at the dump would meet the 9.0 standard; if plans for a new berm or for expansion aren't so engineered, we will argue vigorously again.
Moreover, any expansion must pass Site Design Review (SDR) before it can be approved by the County. Most of the arguments we would have made on appeal of the rezoning can be made during the SDR process. In fact, WM and the County repeated time after time during the rezoning hearings that many of the concerns being raised weren't relevant to zoning and could only be addressed during SDR.
Follow us by email (see right-hand column to sign up) to keep posted about the SDR schedule and other upcoming events.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Oh, No!
Dear Friends,
We have some very dispiriting news to report. Due to a clerical error at the law firm of our attorney, the deadline to file the brief in our appeal of the misguided and illegal rezoning of the dump into farmland was missed. As you can imagine, this is extremely upsetting. Our opponents will be filing a motion to dismiss the case. Our attorney is exploring every option to avoid having this happen. Our case is very strong. We are confident that we would have prevailed in court.
Now we have to move forward and continue the fight in other venues. There are many decision points ahead that will provide us with opportunities of substance to achieve our goal of preventing expansion of Riverbend Landfill. We still have great confidence in our attorney and know that he and his firm will be working very hard on this and all of the other arguments going forward.
We recognize that our latest fundraising letter specified that your generous donations were going towards our appeal to LUBA, the state Land Use Board of Appeals. At this time, that appeal might not be possible. Instead we will be using the funds you contributed to pursue the other legal options available to us.
Please know that the fight is not over. We have several strong opportunities to prevail. We have been heartened by the groundswell of support in the community. More and more people recognize that Riverbend landfill is not an asset to this vibrant and beautiful part of Oregon.
With the continued help of all of you, we intend to win this struggle in order to insure the continued growth, prosperity, and safety of our County for generations to come.
Thank you for the confidence you have placed in us. We truly regret this unfortunate -- but momentary -- setback.
Please contact Ilsa Perse, Stop the Dump Coalition President, with your questions and concerns, at ilsap@earthlink.net.
We have some very dispiriting news to report. Due to a clerical error at the law firm of our attorney, the deadline to file the brief in our appeal of the misguided and illegal rezoning of the dump into farmland was missed. As you can imagine, this is extremely upsetting. Our opponents will be filing a motion to dismiss the case. Our attorney is exploring every option to avoid having this happen. Our case is very strong. We are confident that we would have prevailed in court.
Now we have to move forward and continue the fight in other venues. There are many decision points ahead that will provide us with opportunities of substance to achieve our goal of preventing expansion of Riverbend Landfill. We still have great confidence in our attorney and know that he and his firm will be working very hard on this and all of the other arguments going forward.
We recognize that our latest fundraising letter specified that your generous donations were going towards our appeal to LUBA, the state Land Use Board of Appeals. At this time, that appeal might not be possible. Instead we will be using the funds you contributed to pursue the other legal options available to us.
Please know that the fight is not over. We have several strong opportunities to prevail. We have been heartened by the groundswell of support in the community. More and more people recognize that Riverbend landfill is not an asset to this vibrant and beautiful part of Oregon.
With the continued help of all of you, we intend to win this struggle in order to insure the continued growth, prosperity, and safety of our County for generations to come.
Thank you for the confidence you have placed in us. We truly regret this unfortunate -- but momentary -- setback.
Please contact Ilsa Perse, Stop the Dump Coalition President, with your questions and concerns, at ilsap@earthlink.net.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
DEQ to Require Landfill to Submit Closure Plan
The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has finally recognized that Riverbend Landfill is not expanding any time soon.
Since 2009, when the dump's current operating permit expired, DEQ has held off requiring Riverbend to file a closure permit application even though state law requires such a permit when a landfill is within five years of reaching capacity. Instead, DEQ has administratively continued the existing operating permit year by year.
Without the MSE berm (still under construction), the landfill will reach capacity in fall 2014. With the additional disposal space provided by the berm, capacity will be reached in 2016 -- still well within the 5-year statute.
Bob Schwarz, DEQ's permit writer for Riverbend, announced at the Air Quality meeting held in McMinnville on April 29 that Waste Management was asked to submit an outline for a closure plan by May 2. Schwarz emphasized that filing a closure plan does not prevent the landfill from expanding. A 2012 version of the dump's closure plans is posted on DEQ's Riverbend Landfill website, http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm.
Watch this site for more information!
Since 2009, when the dump's current operating permit expired, DEQ has held off requiring Riverbend to file a closure permit application even though state law requires such a permit when a landfill is within five years of reaching capacity. Instead, DEQ has administratively continued the existing operating permit year by year.
Without the MSE berm (still under construction), the landfill will reach capacity in fall 2014. With the additional disposal space provided by the berm, capacity will be reached in 2016 -- still well within the 5-year statute.
Bob Schwarz, DEQ's permit writer for Riverbend, announced at the Air Quality meeting held in McMinnville on April 29 that Waste Management was asked to submit an outline for a closure plan by May 2. Schwarz emphasized that filing a closure plan does not prevent the landfill from expanding. A 2012 version of the dump's closure plans is posted on DEQ's Riverbend Landfill website, http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm.
Watch this site for more information!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Important Meetings Coming Up!
Air Quality Meeting
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, April 29 at the McMinnville Senior Center at 2250 NE McDaniel Lane.
This is the public meeting that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires Waste Management to hold twice yearly to address issues with air emissions and odor. The public is encouraged to ask questions and to report problems.
Attending this year's meeting will be Gary Andes and Claudia Davis, who monitor Riverbend's compliance with its Title V (air quality) permit, and Bob Schwarz, who monitors the landfill's operations. Bryan Smith will be on hand to discuss DEQ's new odor reporting form.
In addition to odor and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that leak into the air from Riverbend, dust on the roadways has been a big concern lately. Since Waste Management began to reconfigure the dump to make room for the mechanically stabilized earthen berm (the wall that will allow the landfill to accept 2,000,000 additional tons of garbage over the next three years), Highway 18 has been muddier than usual. Erosion into the creeks that flank the landfill is also a concern.
Candidates' Night
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Wednesday, April 30 at the McMinnville Senior Center at 2250 NE McDaniel Lane.
Yamhill County's resource organizations -- the Farm Bureau, Small Woodlands Association, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, and Friends of Yamhill County -- host their traditional election year Candidates' night. Most candidates for County Commissioner will be present to answer audience questions.
One candidate who may not be attending is Stan Primozich, who testified in favor of landfill rezoning at the Planning Commission hearing late last year. That public advocacy of dump expansion may mean Primozich would have to recuse himself from any hearings involving expansion, should he be elected.
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, April 29 at the McMinnville Senior Center at 2250 NE McDaniel Lane.
This is the public meeting that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires Waste Management to hold twice yearly to address issues with air emissions and odor. The public is encouraged to ask questions and to report problems.
Attending this year's meeting will be Gary Andes and Claudia Davis, who monitor Riverbend's compliance with its Title V (air quality) permit, and Bob Schwarz, who monitors the landfill's operations. Bryan Smith will be on hand to discuss DEQ's new odor reporting form.
In addition to odor and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that leak into the air from Riverbend, dust on the roadways has been a big concern lately. Since Waste Management began to reconfigure the dump to make room for the mechanically stabilized earthen berm (the wall that will allow the landfill to accept 2,000,000 additional tons of garbage over the next three years), Highway 18 has been muddier than usual. Erosion into the creeks that flank the landfill is also a concern.
Candidates' Night
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Wednesday, April 30 at the McMinnville Senior Center at 2250 NE McDaniel Lane.
Yamhill County's resource organizations -- the Farm Bureau, Small Woodlands Association, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, and Friends of Yamhill County -- host their traditional election year Candidates' night. Most candidates for County Commissioner will be present to answer audience questions.
One candidate who may not be attending is Stan Primozich, who testified in favor of landfill rezoning at the Planning Commission hearing late last year. That public advocacy of dump expansion may mean Primozich would have to recuse himself from any hearings involving expansion, should he be elected.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Dusty Roads
If you are one of the many who have run into a dust cloud when passing Riverbend Landfill, give ODOT a call.
The Oregon Department of Transportation actually responds to complaints from drivers/walkers/bicyclists about unreasonably dirty roads -- and Highway 18 between Masonville and the dump is one of dirtiest.
To file a written complaint, go to http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Pages/contact_us.aspx. Or call ODOT directly at 888-275-6368. ODOT is very good at getting back to people via telephone, and equally good at telling Riverbend to clean up its act.
Currently ODOT has issued Waste Management a permit to clean the road at night, from 1-3 AM. The "to be cleaned" stretch extends from the landfill's entrance all the way to Masonville Road. A good deal of dust has been kicked off to the sides of the road along this stretch, ready to balloon into a huge cloud whenever an oversized farm or other vehicle rolls across the rumble strip.
Waste Management is also supposed to be washing tires before trucks leave the dump, but the first "tire bath" they constructed couldn't accommodate their own trucks, so they dismantled that one and are rebuilding.
ODOT wants to hear from everyone who is disgusted by the dust and dirt or who sees problems with cleaning, drainage, and erosion along the highway.
The Oregon Department of Transportation actually responds to complaints from drivers/walkers/bicyclists about unreasonably dirty roads -- and Highway 18 between Masonville and the dump is one of dirtiest.
To file a written complaint, go to http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Pages/contact_us.aspx. Or call ODOT directly at 888-275-6368. ODOT is very good at getting back to people via telephone, and equally good at telling Riverbend to clean up its act.
Currently ODOT has issued Waste Management a permit to clean the road at night, from 1-3 AM. The "to be cleaned" stretch extends from the landfill's entrance all the way to Masonville Road. A good deal of dust has been kicked off to the sides of the road along this stretch, ready to balloon into a huge cloud whenever an oversized farm or other vehicle rolls across the rumble strip.
Waste Management is also supposed to be washing tires before trucks leave the dump, but the first "tire bath" they constructed couldn't accommodate their own trucks, so they dismantled that one and are rebuilding.
ODOT wants to hear from everyone who is disgusted by the dust and dirt or who sees problems with cleaning, drainage, and erosion along the highway.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Air Quality Meeting Set for April 29
On April 29th, Waste Management, Inc. will host a mandatory Title V Air Quality Permit meeting. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires WM to host semi-annual meetings at which citizens (you!!) can comment on the air quality 'round Riverbend Landfill.
As you know, despite WM promises to the contrary, the dump continues to smell. Many of you have been diligently reporting odors to Gary Andes from DEQ (andes.gary@deq.state.or.us). Thank you! On April 29th, a large gang of you can comment in person. It is very important that people turn out for this.
It's all about the numbers for DEQ -- not whether the dump is damaging the neighborhood or the quality of life of people who live and work there. DEQ has its own bizarre rules about what constitutes an odor report. For example, a person cannot file more than one report a day even if the odor is distinctly different, at a different time, and in a different location. On the other hand, if a person compiles odor reports from a several-day time period but sends them in together, DEQ will count all the reports as one.
The exception is if you use DEQ's new odor reporting form. If you fill out a separate form for each day you smelled the dump, then each form counts as a single report even if you send in several together.
Numbers are important to DEQ because the Department has decided that an odor doesn't warrant a DEQ investigation unless several different people are offended by the odor on several different occasions. Unfortunately, DEQ is more focused on the number of reports than on the cause of the odor.
The bottom line is, the more comments, the better. Without significant numbers of these comments, our plight here will get no attention from DEQ.
The Stop the Dump Coalition will be inviting County Commissioners to attend the April 29th meeting so they can hear first-hand how the community feels about the stench emanating from Riverbend. More citizen input is needed!
WHAT: Title V Air Quality Permit Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29th; 6:00 PM for Pizza: 7:00 PM for meeting
WHERE: McMinnville Senior Center, 2250 McDaniel Lane, McMinnville
WHY: Without public comment, nothing will change....ever. We need YOU!
- Ilsa Perse, President, Stop the Dump Coalition
As you know, despite WM promises to the contrary, the dump continues to smell. Many of you have been diligently reporting odors to Gary Andes from DEQ (andes.gary@deq.state.or.us). Thank you! On April 29th, a large gang of you can comment in person. It is very important that people turn out for this.
It's all about the numbers for DEQ -- not whether the dump is damaging the neighborhood or the quality of life of people who live and work there. DEQ has its own bizarre rules about what constitutes an odor report. For example, a person cannot file more than one report a day even if the odor is distinctly different, at a different time, and in a different location. On the other hand, if a person compiles odor reports from a several-day time period but sends them in together, DEQ will count all the reports as one.
The exception is if you use DEQ's new odor reporting form. If you fill out a separate form for each day you smelled the dump, then each form counts as a single report even if you send in several together.
Numbers are important to DEQ because the Department has decided that an odor doesn't warrant a DEQ investigation unless several different people are offended by the odor on several different occasions. Unfortunately, DEQ is more focused on the number of reports than on the cause of the odor.
The bottom line is, the more comments, the better. Without significant numbers of these comments, our plight here will get no attention from DEQ.
The Stop the Dump Coalition will be inviting County Commissioners to attend the April 29th meeting so they can hear first-hand how the community feels about the stench emanating from Riverbend. More citizen input is needed!
WHAT: Title V Air Quality Permit Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29th; 6:00 PM for Pizza: 7:00 PM for meeting
WHERE: McMinnville Senior Center, 2250 McDaniel Lane, McMinnville
WHY: Without public comment, nothing will change....ever. We need YOU!
- Ilsa Perse, President, Stop the Dump Coalition
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
DEQ Promises to Correct Website Regarding Leachate Leaks
UPDATE: The website has been corrected.
Department of Environmental Quality representative Janice Leber has apologized for an error in managing the DEQ Riverbend website (www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm). The error resulted in removal of information about a leachate leak that occurred in January 2014, a month before snow and ice allegedly prevented landfill personnel from avoiding a second leachate leak.
Department of Environmental Quality representative Janice Leber has apologized for an error in managing the DEQ Riverbend website (www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm). The error resulted in removal of information about a leachate leak that occurred in January 2014, a month before snow and ice allegedly prevented landfill personnel from avoiding a second leachate leak.
Leber promised to correct the website posting, and she assured Ilsa Perse, Stop the Dump Coalition president, that she is "working with Bob Schwarz to make sure the information on the web site is accurate and complete." Schwarz is the DEQ employee with on-the-ground responsibility for oversight of most aspects of Riverbend operation.
The McMinnville News-Register reported this week that Waste Management plans to prevent leaks like the one in February, which resulted from overflow from on-site leachate storage tanks, by adding additional storage capacity. However, no mention was made of any plan by Riverbend operators for safe removal of leachate when that additional storage fills up during the next big storm.
Although it called environmental harm resulting from the two leaks "minor," DEQ has stated that it is considering "enforcement" action against Waste Management for the leaks because they violated the landfill's permits. We'll see if that enforcement results in better planning and better -- how about any? -- communication with the neighborhood about permit violations in the future.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
January Leachate Leak??
The following was reported on the Department of Environmental Quality's Riverbend Landfill website (http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm) but don't bother looking online for information about the January leachate leak -- that information is no longer there.
Leachate release — On February 10, 2014, landfill personnel observed leachate escaping from the landfill’s northern boundary. Waste Management reported that this leachate reached a creek approximately 300 feet from the landfill. This leachate was primarily liquid that had collected in the landfill’s gas extraction wells. To keep the extraction wells working properly, this leachate is routinely pumped from the wells to three 21,000-gallon storage tanks near the north side of the landfill. This leachate is kept separate from the majority of the landfill’s leachate, which is pumped to the onsite leachate pond. This reason for this separation is that leachate associated with the gas extraction wells is more concentrated than the rest of the landfill leachate, and is therefore sent to a different offsite facility for treatment and disposal. Tanker trucks that routinely haul this leachate to an offsite treatment plant were unable to get to the site because of heavy snow and icy roads. Flow of leachate from the landfill to the tanks was stopped because the tanks were full. This is believed to be the reason leachate began seeping from the landfill. To prevent this problem in the future, Waste Management has connected these tanks to the pipeline leading to the onsite leachate storage pond.
Impacts to the creek were evaluated in a March 13, 2014 report prepared by Waste Management’s consultant. The report concludes that “No mortality of aquatic flora or fauna was observed during either site visit [conducted on February 12 and 21, 2014]. Overall, the impact to aquatic biota was estimated to be minimal on the basis of the high flows of the unnamed creek and the South Yamhill River, and the comparison to aquatic water quality criteria and human health criteria.” A copy of the consultant’s report is found here.
DEQ inspected the site on February 12, 2014. The inspection report, along with photographs, is found here. DEQ concurs with the findings of the consultant's report. However, in light of the release of leachate to the creek, DEQ is pursuing enforcement action against the landfill.
A previous seep was found on January 28, 2014, approximately 400 feet west of the February 10 seep. This leachate migrated beyond the perimeter of the landfill, but did not travel far from the landfill perimeter. This release was from an old perimeter French drain that was clogged as the result of recent construction of a stormwater diversion swale. The drain had been installed during construction of the landfill cell to convey leachate to the leachate collection line that runs to the onsite leachate storage pond. To address this problem, the landfill contractor removed all drain rock from the French drain along that portion beneath the stormwater diversion berm. Between January 28 and 29, this rock was removed and the area was backfilled with compacted clay. Four vertical 12-inch sump pipes were installed and backfilled with drain rock. Soil from the impacted area north of the landfill was sampled on January 29. Soil impacted by the leachate release was then excavated, and a vactor truck was used to remove standing stormwater that may have been contaminated by the release. Soil from this area was resampled on January 31. Results were provided in a technical memorandum dated March 14, 2014. These results indicate that residual contaminant concentrations are below safe levels.
Leachate release — On February 10, 2014, landfill personnel observed leachate escaping from the landfill’s northern boundary. Waste Management reported that this leachate reached a creek approximately 300 feet from the landfill. This leachate was primarily liquid that had collected in the landfill’s gas extraction wells. To keep the extraction wells working properly, this leachate is routinely pumped from the wells to three 21,000-gallon storage tanks near the north side of the landfill. This leachate is kept separate from the majority of the landfill’s leachate, which is pumped to the onsite leachate pond. This reason for this separation is that leachate associated with the gas extraction wells is more concentrated than the rest of the landfill leachate, and is therefore sent to a different offsite facility for treatment and disposal. Tanker trucks that routinely haul this leachate to an offsite treatment plant were unable to get to the site because of heavy snow and icy roads. Flow of leachate from the landfill to the tanks was stopped because the tanks were full. This is believed to be the reason leachate began seeping from the landfill. To prevent this problem in the future, Waste Management has connected these tanks to the pipeline leading to the onsite leachate storage pond.
Impacts to the creek were evaluated in a March 13, 2014 report prepared by Waste Management’s consultant. The report concludes that “No mortality of aquatic flora or fauna was observed during either site visit [conducted on February 12 and 21, 2014]. Overall, the impact to aquatic biota was estimated to be minimal on the basis of the high flows of the unnamed creek and the South Yamhill River, and the comparison to aquatic water quality criteria and human health criteria.” A copy of the consultant’s report is found here.
DEQ inspected the site on February 12, 2014. The inspection report, along with photographs, is found here. DEQ concurs with the findings of the consultant's report. However, in light of the release of leachate to the creek, DEQ is pursuing enforcement action against the landfill.
A previous seep was found on January 28, 2014, approximately 400 feet west of the February 10 seep. This leachate migrated beyond the perimeter of the landfill, but did not travel far from the landfill perimeter. This release was from an old perimeter French drain that was clogged as the result of recent construction of a stormwater diversion swale. The drain had been installed during construction of the landfill cell to convey leachate to the leachate collection line that runs to the onsite leachate storage pond. To address this problem, the landfill contractor removed all drain rock from the French drain along that portion beneath the stormwater diversion berm. Between January 28 and 29, this rock was removed and the area was backfilled with compacted clay. Four vertical 12-inch sump pipes were installed and backfilled with drain rock. Soil from the impacted area north of the landfill was sampled on January 29. Soil impacted by the leachate release was then excavated, and a vactor truck was used to remove standing stormwater that may have been contaminated by the release. Soil from this area was resampled on January 31. Results were provided in a technical memorandum dated March 14, 2014. These results indicate that residual contaminant concentrations are below safe levels.
Where Are The Regulators??
I would like to register my displeasure at the failure of regulators to understand and deal with the risks associated with raising the level of the berm at the Riverbend Land Fill.
While it may be argued that the berm may withstand one type of natural disaster (say, flood), it is often a combination of disasters that lead to structural failure. While the response is typically "That will never happen," the reality is that such events happen all too often. Last week's natural gas explosion near Hermiston is only the most recent example, where a gas explosion (itself of unknown cause) resulted in shrapnel puncturing a nearby gas storage tank, which then began leaking and continued to leak throughout the week. The Oso slide in Washington is another example, where an already slide-prone area may have been compromised by clearcut logging.
Similarly, this year's heavy rains meant that the haul road at the Riverbend fill could not be used, leachate could not be hauled out, and there resulted a slide and an overflow of leachate into the nearby creek. Adequate erosion control measures might have prevented some of this, but where are the regulators to enforce such measures? And what if some other natural event occurred at the same time?
As the deputy sheriff at the gas facility near Hermiston said, "The tank is still punctured, it's still leaking and there is chemical in the area. We're still in the middle of the game. Actually, I have no idea where are in the game. Experts are still determining that." The trouble is, the regulatory experts are all too often swayed by the "experts" hired by the owners of the facility that ultimately fails. I hope this is not the case with Riverbend.
-- Submitted by Charlie Harris, Newberg, Oregon
While it may be argued that the berm may withstand one type of natural disaster (say, flood), it is often a combination of disasters that lead to structural failure. While the response is typically "That will never happen," the reality is that such events happen all too often. Last week's natural gas explosion near Hermiston is only the most recent example, where a gas explosion (itself of unknown cause) resulted in shrapnel puncturing a nearby gas storage tank, which then began leaking and continued to leak throughout the week. The Oso slide in Washington is another example, where an already slide-prone area may have been compromised by clearcut logging.
Similarly, this year's heavy rains meant that the haul road at the Riverbend fill could not be used, leachate could not be hauled out, and there resulted a slide and an overflow of leachate into the nearby creek. Adequate erosion control measures might have prevented some of this, but where are the regulators to enforce such measures? And what if some other natural event occurred at the same time?
As the deputy sheriff at the gas facility near Hermiston said, "The tank is still punctured, it's still leaking and there is chemical in the area. We're still in the middle of the game. Actually, I have no idea where are in the game. Experts are still determining that." The trouble is, the regulatory experts are all too often swayed by the "experts" hired by the owners of the facility that ultimately fails. I hope this is not the case with Riverbend.
-- Submitted by Charlie Harris, Newberg, Oregon
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Slide on Riverbend Perimeter Berm
As reported here last month, leachate leaked from the landfill into McPhillips Creek during winter storms. The cause? Landfill operatives closed pipes into leachate collection tanks because trucks that pump out excess leachate couldn't negotiate snowy roads, and the operators worried that the tanks might overflow. The result? Leachate that would normally flow to the tanks diverted into the creek instead.
Now we learn there's been a landslide on the 4,500-foot long "perimeter" flood control berm. This berm, which surrounds the existing landfill, has not been studied to current earthquake standards -- magnitude 9.0 -- although portions, including the section that failed, were engineered to withstand a 7.25 earthquake.
That a berm engineered to 7.25 should fail during a good rain should concern everyone given that river flood waters routinely lap up to this berm. Moreover, this is not the first time that there have been stability problems with the perimeter berm. A portion of the berm failed and was repaired in the past.
If trucks essential to landfill operations cannot reach the landfill during a snow and ice storm, what will happen when the next big earthquake knocks down all of our bridges? If the perimeter flood control berm fails during a heavy rain, what will keep it standing during an earthquake? February's leachate spill is just a hint of continuing problems to come. DEQ should fine Riverbend (and we hope they do), but make no mistake: This problem does not have a solution, and will continue as long garbage remains on the river bank -- which will be hundreds of years.
Unfortunately Yamhill County has just exacerbated this unsolvable problem, voting to rezone the landfill as a first step toward a twenty-year expansion that will will add nearly 3,000 more feet to the flood control berm.
For more information about the leachate leak, check DEQ's Riverbend website, www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/RiverbendLandfill.htm. An investigation of the leak and photos of the muddy work areas are described toward the bottom of the site under "Other Issues." While it's investigating the leak, DEQ should also order Riverbend to clean up the filthy roadway at the entrance to the dump, repair and rebuild the perimeter berm to withstand the expected 9.0 Cascadia earthquake, and handle daily cover and erosion issues in accordance with law.
Leonard Rydell contributed to this article.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Beyond Waste
Last week, Fred Stemmler, General Manager of Recology, spoke on the topic "Beyond Waste" at the McMinnville City Club. Recology, an employee-owned company headquartered in California, handles garbage and recycling pick-up in McMinnville and west Yamhill County. Leonard Rydell was present at the meeting and gives us this report:
I have not seen such enthusiasm for recycling since the late 1970's and early 1980's. That's when a group of women started Yamhill Valley Recyclers, a recycling program in Yamhill County. The YVR opened a recycling drop-off center at the old Hubbard Shoe Grease building and obtained a tipping fee for garbage deposited at the then new Riverbend Landfill.
Recology has far exceeded the efforts of the Yamhill Valley Recyclers. At its McMinnville facility, Recology recycles not only the typical metal, paper, cardboard and glass, but also organic compost, clothing, shoes, hardback books, CDs, motor oil, window glass and electronics on a daily basis. Recology's ultimate goal is "Zero Waste," and they have even ordered a machine that will compress Styrofoam into compacted blocks that can be reused to make new Styrofoam.
Although I live in Newberg, I find myself taking most of my non-donatable recyclables to Recology, located at 2200 NE Orchard Avenue in McMinnville, because the recycling center located at the Newberg transfer station has offered reduced services since it was acquired by Waste Management. I raised the issue with the Newberg City Council, and one council member responded that, "They do more than we ask" -- meaning, apparently, that we shouldn't ask for anything.
This view to expect less is apparently shared by at least one Yamhill County Commissioner. At the January 2014 meeting where Commissioners voted to rezone Riverbend Landfill so it can expand onto good farmland next door, Commissioner Kathy George stated that she wanted to keep garbage bills low for poor people. Apparently, she does not realize that one can almost eliminate their garbage bill by recycling as I have done since moving into my new house in 1977. Riverbend Landfill accepts a small amount of garbage for free when predominately recyclables are dropped off.
I encourage all Yamhill County Residents and the Newberg City Council to stop by Recology in McMinnville to see what they recycle and learn that you don't need to pay to keep having your cast-offs pile up on the mountain of trash in the flood plain of the South Yamhill River.
-- Leonard A. Rydell
I have not seen such enthusiasm for recycling since the late 1970's and early 1980's. That's when a group of women started Yamhill Valley Recyclers, a recycling program in Yamhill County. The YVR opened a recycling drop-off center at the old Hubbard Shoe Grease building and obtained a tipping fee for garbage deposited at the then new Riverbend Landfill.
Recology has far exceeded the efforts of the Yamhill Valley Recyclers. At its McMinnville facility, Recology recycles not only the typical metal, paper, cardboard and glass, but also organic compost, clothing, shoes, hardback books, CDs, motor oil, window glass and electronics on a daily basis. Recology's ultimate goal is "Zero Waste," and they have even ordered a machine that will compress Styrofoam into compacted blocks that can be reused to make new Styrofoam.
Although I live in Newberg, I find myself taking most of my non-donatable recyclables to Recology, located at 2200 NE Orchard Avenue in McMinnville, because the recycling center located at the Newberg transfer station has offered reduced services since it was acquired by Waste Management. I raised the issue with the Newberg City Council, and one council member responded that, "They do more than we ask" -- meaning, apparently, that we shouldn't ask for anything.
This view to expect less is apparently shared by at least one Yamhill County Commissioner. At the January 2014 meeting where Commissioners voted to rezone Riverbend Landfill so it can expand onto good farmland next door, Commissioner Kathy George stated that she wanted to keep garbage bills low for poor people. Apparently, she does not realize that one can almost eliminate their garbage bill by recycling as I have done since moving into my new house in 1977. Riverbend Landfill accepts a small amount of garbage for free when predominately recyclables are dropped off.
I encourage all Yamhill County Residents and the Newberg City Council to stop by Recology in McMinnville to see what they recycle and learn that you don't need to pay to keep having your cast-offs pile up on the mountain of trash in the flood plain of the South Yamhill River.
-- Leonard A. Rydell
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Leachate Leak -- donations
Friends,
As has been reported in the press, leachate from Riverbend Landfill leaked into a neighboring creek and then into the South Yamhill River during the snow event of several weeks ago. According to Bob Schwarz of DEQ, ".. two of the chemicals found in the downstream sample were acetone and methyl ethyl ketone." Neighbors have been told there is no reason to worry as "dilution is the solution to pollution."
Waste Management has pledged to explain the leak at a Pizza Event on Wednesday, March 19th, at the Red Lion Inn on Highway 18 (near the hospital). Of course, other topics can be addressed (think berm, alternative waste handling methods, earthquake safety), especially if all of you ask questions! Several Stop the Dump people will be out of town, so we are hoping that the public in general will be there to get pertinent information from Waste Management.
WHAT:-Waste Management Meeting to discuss Leachate Leak
WHEN: Wednesday 19 March; 6;00 PM for Pizza; 7:00 PM for Meeting
WHERE: Red Lion Hotel near the Hospital on Highway 18
APPEALING COUNTY DECISION:
As many of you know, Stop the Dump Coalition, in conjunction with the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, Friends of Yamhill County, and McPhillips Farm, has filed a Notice of Intent to Appeal the County ordinance to rezone the dump to farmland with LUBA, the Land Use Board of Appeals.
When we mailed out our Notice of Intent to Appeal, we included a donation envelope in order to collect funds for this legal fight. THANK YOU to all of the people who have returned those envelopes with checks inside of them! If you have not already done so, we hope you will be able to donate soon.
If you are not on our mailing list and would like to donate, you can do so through our website, right here: http://www.stopthedumpcoalition.org/Legal.cshtml
OR
You can mail a check to:
Stop the Dump Coalition
PO Box 1744
McMinnville, OR 97128
MANY MANY THANKS!
See you on the 19th at the Red Lion
Ilsa
for Stop the Dump Coalition
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Coalition Appeals Dump Decision
The Stop the Dump Coalition, representing fifty local business Partners and hundreds of additional individuals and businesses, today filed its Notice of Intent to Appeal Yamhill County's decision to rezone Riverbend Landfill as farmland.
The appeal comes just days after leachate leaked from the dump and contaminated neighboring farm fields.
Yamhill County Commissioners voted on February 12, 2014, to rezone the landfill to Exclusive Farm Use (EFU). Rezoning Riverbend, a man-made stinking mountain comprising more than 12 million tons of trash, is the first step on what the County and Waste Management, the dump's owner (WM), hope will be a path to landfill expansion.
Waste Management proposes to extend the landfill onto 37 farmable acres next door, an expansion that would dump another 20+ years of garbage alongside the County's major tourist highway and the banks of the South Yamhill River. WM sought the rezone because state law allows only "existing" dumps in EFU zones to expand onto high-value EFU soils.
The Commissioners' contempt for Oregon land use law is blatant. To justify this rezone, the Commissioners had to call the landfill (which will endure hundreds of years) a "temporary" non-farm use and to pretend that a dump is a farm in order to convert an actual farm next door into a dump. This kind of nonsensical reasoning flies in the face of Oregon's land use law, which is designed specifically to preserve farmland.
The Commissioners also ignored the voices of thousands of citizens they are supposed to represent, citing a lack of evidence about the dump's negative impacts despite contrary testimony from neighbors and area farmers. The County's shortsightedness overlooks the real economic and environmental impacts of an enormous regional dump in a popular tourist area and shows the Commissioners' utter lack of concern for the health and safety of future generations.
The appeal will ask LUBA to find that a landfill cannot be zoned a farm under Oregon law. LUBA has the power to throw out the County's decision entirely, which would mean the dump could not be expanded. Alternatively, LUBA could send the case back to the County with instructions to reconsider specific findings.
You can help the Stop the Dump Coalition and its fellow petitioners derail Riverbend Landfill's expansion plans. Use our "Donate" button to send your contribution to the Coalition's legal fund. The Coalition recently received $5,000 from anonymous donors to help pay up-front LUBA filing fees and attorney fees. Though this is a terrific start, the estimated cost to fight dump expansion and take the appeal to LUBA is $20,000.
If you wish to donate but prefer not to use Paypal, contact Coalition President Ilsa Perse at ilsap@earthlink.net.
The Stop the Dump Coalition is grateful for the support of all donors, large and small. Every dollar is needed and appreciated. Please contribute today! We can't do this without you.
The appeal comes just days after leachate leaked from the dump and contaminated neighboring farm fields.
Yamhill County Commissioners voted on February 12, 2014, to rezone the landfill to Exclusive Farm Use (EFU). Rezoning Riverbend, a man-made stinking mountain comprising more than 12 million tons of trash, is the first step on what the County and Waste Management, the dump's owner (WM), hope will be a path to landfill expansion.
Waste Management proposes to extend the landfill onto 37 farmable acres next door, an expansion that would dump another 20+ years of garbage alongside the County's major tourist highway and the banks of the South Yamhill River. WM sought the rezone because state law allows only "existing" dumps in EFU zones to expand onto high-value EFU soils.
The Commissioners' contempt for Oregon land use law is blatant. To justify this rezone, the Commissioners had to call the landfill (which will endure hundreds of years) a "temporary" non-farm use and to pretend that a dump is a farm in order to convert an actual farm next door into a dump. This kind of nonsensical reasoning flies in the face of Oregon's land use law, which is designed specifically to preserve farmland.
The Commissioners also ignored the voices of thousands of citizens they are supposed to represent, citing a lack of evidence about the dump's negative impacts despite contrary testimony from neighbors and area farmers. The County's shortsightedness overlooks the real economic and environmental impacts of an enormous regional dump in a popular tourist area and shows the Commissioners' utter lack of concern for the health and safety of future generations.
- photo design by Marilyn Higginson
To stop this madness, the Stop the Dump Coalition is taking the case to the state Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). They are joined by the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, Friends of Yamhill County, and landfill neighbor McPhillips Farms, Inc. The City of McMinnville, the Oregon Wine Board, the Yamhill County Farm Bureau, the County Planning Commission, and hundreds of individuals and businesses who signed an ad in the News-Register or testified at public hearings are also on record as opposing expansion of this growing pile of unsorted waste.The appeal will ask LUBA to find that a landfill cannot be zoned a farm under Oregon law. LUBA has the power to throw out the County's decision entirely, which would mean the dump could not be expanded. Alternatively, LUBA could send the case back to the County with instructions to reconsider specific findings.
You can help the Stop the Dump Coalition and its fellow petitioners derail Riverbend Landfill's expansion plans. Use our "Donate" button to send your contribution to the Coalition's legal fund. The Coalition recently received $5,000 from anonymous donors to help pay up-front LUBA filing fees and attorney fees. Though this is a terrific start, the estimated cost to fight dump expansion and take the appeal to LUBA is $20,000.
If you wish to donate but prefer not to use Paypal, contact Coalition President Ilsa Perse at ilsap@earthlink.net.
The Stop the Dump Coalition is grateful for the support of all donors, large and small. Every dollar is needed and appreciated. Please contribute today! We can't do this without you.
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