Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis, Oregon near Adair Village
Stop Landfill Expansion
News articles on the possible expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill
Coffin Butte expansion approval based on flawed odor study, report says
by Tracy Loew Jan 31, 2026
“Benton County Commissioners’ approval of a controversial expansion at Coffin Butte Landfill was based on a flawed odor study, according to a new report from a county consultant.
The odor study was used to predict downwind concentrations of odor-causing pollutants from the proposed expansion.”
Benton County withdraws expansion approval of Coffin Butte Landfill
by Bill Poehler Dec 16, 2025
“Benton County Commissioners withdrew their approval Dec. 16 for the expansion of Coffin Butte Landfill to consider the application further.
County commissioners on Nov. 17 voted 2-1 to approve the permit for expansion with conditions.”
Coffin Butte Landfill expansion denied by Benton County Planning Commission
by Tracy Loew July 23, 2025
“The Benton County Planning Commission voted unanimously on July 22 to deny Coffin Butte Landfill’s proposed expansion.”
Alternatives to the Coffin Butte Landfill
Marion County plans to shift some trucked waste to Wasco County
by Allison Frost Jan 22, 2025
“There are some issues around Coffin Butte Landfill, and it’s seeking an additional capacity or approval from Benton County. I think it’s in our best interest in Marion County to make sure that we kind of explore other options to avoid risk. As part of that, Coffin Butte has raised their rates for disposal. So working with our haulers association, kind of looked out there for other alternatives, and that’s where the Wasco County facility has come up. We hope to be sending some material out there before the 1st of February.”
News Article About House Bill 3794 (2025) which establishes a task force on municipal solid waste in the Willamette Valley
Oregon Legislature votes to study Willamette Valley garbage woes
by Tracy Loew June 29, 2025
“The Oregon Legislature has voted to create a task force to identify solutions for solid waste disposal in the Willamette Valley.”
News articles on Senate Bill 726 (2025) and methane monitoring at landfills
Oregon corporate landfills using loophole to avoid methane monitoring, study finds
by Tracy Loew March 7, 2025
“Oregon’s corporate-owned landfills are using a loophole in state law to avoid methane monitoring on an average of about half of their operating surfaces, a new study concludes.”
Oregon to require advanced methane monitoring at Coffin Butte Landfill
by Tracy Loew June 4, 2025
“Coffin Butte Landfill will have to improve monitoring and reporting of methane leaks under a bill passed June 4 by the Oregon Legislature.
Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, introduced the bill in response to ongoing concerns about methane releases at the 178-acre landfill near Adair Village.”
Coffin Butte Landfill says drone monitoring for methane not feasible
by Tracy Loew Jan 10, 2026
“On Nov. 6, DEQ notified the company it had identified seven serious violations of state and federal law at the landfill, most related to dangerous methane leaks. DEQ found that the landfill’s gas collection system is not large enough to function properly and that it too often runs without an operating flare to prevent landfill gas from escaping uncombusted; that the company does not monitor for methane leaks as required, or fix methane leaks as quickly as required; and that it does not monitor for
and fix tears in the surface cover.”
by Jacob Wallace Dec 8, 2025
“U.S. landfills containing municipal solid waste are releasing certain kinds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances into the air in amounts comparable to the release of PFAS chemicals via liquid, or leachate, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology.”
Life Cycle Assessment of
Incineration vs. Landfilling
Additional resources at The Energy Justice Network
Oregon House Bill 3794, signed into law on August 13, 2025, and effective September 26, 2025, establishes the 12-member Task Force on Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley. This task force is charged with studying waste disposal solutions, reviewing Benton County’s regional plan, and reporting recommendations to the legislature by December 15, 2026.
Key Details of HB 3794 (2025):
- Purpose: To address garbage disposal challenges in the Willamette Valley, especially following the closure of the Reworld incinerator in Brooks at the end of 2024.
- Composition: 12 members total, including 4 nonvoting legislative members and 8 voting members appointed by the Governor (representatives from waste haulers, cities, counties, and environmental groups).
- Action Plan: The task force must hold its first meeting within 90 days of the effective date (September 26, 2025) and report findings to the legislature by December 15, 2026.
- Sunset: The task force will sunset on December 31, 2026
Joint Task Force On Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley – 2025-2026 meeting agendas and recordings
Oregon Senate Bill 726, passed in June 2025, requires advanced methane emissions monitoring at the Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County. The legislation mandates the use of technology like drones, satellites, or planes to detect leaks, aiming to improve air quality near the site. The requirements become operative on July 1, 2026.
- Target: Specifically applies to municipal solid waste landfills in Benton County, primarily targeting the Coffin Butte Landfill.
- Monitoring Technology: Mandates “advanced methane detection technology” for surface emissions monitoring and reporting to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
- Corrective Action: Requires owners/operators to re-monitor sites within 10 days of detecting an emission exceedance and take corrective action.
- Background: Introduced by Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin following reports of significant methane leaks at the Coffin Butte Landfill.
A history of the Coffin Butte Landfill
Where the garbage goes: Amid massive rollbacks of federal environmental protections, a community battling the expansion of a local landfill seeks to safeguard its own backyard – and everyone else’s.
by Jaclyn Moyer June 1, 2025
“In the mid-2010s, things started to shift. The roadsides were often littered with trash and truck traffic thundered along, seemingly without pause. Unpleasant odors grew more frequent, sometimes driving families indoors. The smell was difficult to describe — some likened it to rotting cabbage, others to bug spray — but people found no shortage of adjectives to lob at it: Acrid. Hideous. Offensive. Nasty. The dump’s visual presence, too, swelled. Residents recall the Bunn Brothers promptly covering landfilled trash with soil, even planting grass and wildflowers, but now dozens of acres of hillside lingered for years under black plastic tarps.”
See Valley Neighbors for Environmental Quality and Safety (VNEQS) for more information