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!
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