County officials aren’t saying why, but approval to expand the Coffin Butte landfill has been withdrawn and will be reconsidered for approval at a Benton County Board of Commissioners, or BOC, meeting on January 6, 2026.
Here’s what happened: At the very end of yesterday’s December 16 Board meeting, Commissioner Nancy Wyse said that because opponents of the dump’s expansion had filed an appeal with Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals, the commissioners could withdraw their November approval for later reconsideration. She motioned that the Board do that, Commissioner Pat Malone seconded the motion, and Commissioner Gabe Shepherd’s yes vote made it unanimous.
Motivations for the reconsideration were not discussed. The matter had not been on yesterday’s meeting agenda. The whole exchange took about five minutes, if that.
Speculation over the withdrawal has run the gamut. Opponents are expressing hope the commissioners have had a change of heart. Some have speculated the move is no more than a procedural response to an appeal that’s been filed with Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals. In our analysis, even as one of the commissioners cited to us an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality report that was issued post-decision, we don’t believe the commissioners’ motivations are necessarily clear.
There has been controversy
If you’re new to the area, or have been blissfully unaware, the question of expanding the dump has been controversial. At one point during the comment period, the sheer volume of negative testimony from the community broke the County’s system for intaking the information. As to in-person testimony, additional hearings had to be scheduled.
As all this was happening, we assessed that if the matter had been reduced to a ballot measure, voters would have resoundingly said no. But then, it would not be the voters that would decide, it would be the BOC.
In November, the Board approved the expansion. The dump’s owner is trash hauler Republic Services. Commissioners Wyse and Malone voted to approve, Shepherd voted against.
Environmentally oriented locals and expert advocates have long claimed the dump is hazardous to human health and the environment. They’ve said the facility is not well-run by Republic, or properly monitored by local, state and federal authorities.
Concerns have ranged from forever chemicals leaching into surrounding soil and groundwater to methane and chemical emissions being released into the air.
Indeed, just two days after the commissioners approved the landfill expansion, the state disclosed it would be taking an enforcement action against Republic for air quality issues dating from 2022 to present. The timing of the disclosure has been seen as questionable.
Other concerns have centered on trash that reportedly blows into adjacent properties and harms livestock and fire risks that neither the County nor the neighboring small town of Adair Village are prepared for.
Political futures, candidates respond to latest Board action
Benton County’s three commissionerships are partisan. But Democrats have held all three positions for decades. And before Malone’s vote to approve the landfill expansion, party insiders were seeing a primary challenge as increasingly unlikely for next year.
But within days of his vote to approve the expansion, Adair Village City Councilor John Wilson filed to oppose him in 2026.
Concerning yesterday’s action, Wilson issued a release.
“It’s unfortunate that Commissioner Malone decided to listen to the constituents on this issue only after I entered the race. It shouldn’t take the specter of a primary challenge to get the Commissioners to heed the overwhelming testimony in opposition to the expansion permit,” Wilson said. “Reconsidering the expansion permit is a step in the right direction but the underlying issue remains, Commissioner Malone is out of touch with the constituents in our rural communities.”
When asked about Wilson’s response to the withdrawal of approval and reconsideration, Commissioner Malone said, “For four years I have worked toward the same goal: a long-term solution to the problem of solid waste management in Benton County. First in Benton County Talks Trash, then on the Sustainable Materials Management Plan task force. I voted to fund the SMMP task force and I participated actively in the work.”
Malone also said, “Now Governor Kotek has appointed me to lead the state’s task force to continue working toward a long-term solid waste management solution for the Willamette Valley. I’m eager to make real progress in the coming year on a system that will positively impact the health and safety of all people in the County – in cities and rural areas – long into the future.”
As to why he voted to reconsider, he said, “Neither Commissioner Shepherd nor I knew about the motion in advance because commissioners can only discuss business in public meetings. In the best interest of the public we serve, Oregon law prevents us from having private conversations because two people make a quorum in a county with three commissioners. I don’t know what Commissioner Wyse is thinking about the landfill decision and why her mind might be changing, but I’m eager to find out. By seconding her motion, I have an opportunity to talk with her about it in a public meeting. I welcome the opportunity because new information came out from DEQ after we voted and came to a decision on November 4, and we might now have a chance to discuss it.”
Malone is currently serving a second term. Wyse and Shepherd’s terms won’t be back on the ballot until 2028.
By Hallie Greenberg and Steven J. Schultz
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