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!").
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