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Tag: Coffin Butte Landfill

Benton County Board of Commissioners gavel

September 16, 2025 in News

Benton County announces dates for public hearing on appeal of landfill decision

Benton County has scheduled a public hearing before the Board of Commissioners for the appeal of the decision to deny expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 22 with a planned continuance on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 5:30-10 p.m. at the Benton County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 110 SW 53rd Street in Corvallis. 

The County’s Planning Commission denied Republic Services’ application to expand the landfill in a decision adopted on July 29. The applicant filed an appeal of that decision on Aug. 12. Appeals of Planning Commission decisions are heard by the Board of Commissioners.  

The hearing will include presentations by the County’s Planning Division and the applicant, followed by verbal public testimony and a final rebuttal by the applicant.   

The full schedule is expected to be as follows. These dates are subject to change with notice. Check the County’s website for the latest schedule.  

Wednesday, Oct. 15 
Expected date for County to publish a staff report considering evidence submitted by the applicant and public since the start of the appeal 

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 5:30 – 10 p.m. 
First day of public hearing: presentations by the County and the applicant followed by the start of verbal public testimony  
Location: Benton County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 110 SW 53rd Street, Corvallis 

Thursday, Oct. 23, 5:30 – 10 p.m. 
Second day of public hearing: verbal public testimony concludes; applicant rebuttal; deadline to submit written testimony 
Location: Benton County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 110 SW 53rd Street, Corvallis 

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. 
Deliberations and decision by Board of Commissioners 
Location: Kalapuya Building, 4500 SW Research Way, Corvallis 

Monday, Nov. 17, 9 a.m. 
Board of Commissioners adopts final written decision  
Location: Kalapuya Building, 4500 SW Research Way, Corvallis 

Virtual participation in all meetings will be available through an online meeting platform. Links to register for and view meetings will be available soon.  

Verbal testimony 

Anyone can sign up to give two minutes of verbal testimony on new evidence regardless of their participation in the earlier Planning Commission hearing. The time has been set at two minutes per person because of the condensed timeline of the hearing and the large number of interested parties who wish to be heard. 

Registration for verbal testimony will open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Instructions and a link to a sign-up form will be distributed and posted to the County website closer to that date.   

Written testimony 

Written evidence and testimony are already being accepted and will be collected until the hearing record is closed by the chair of the Board of Commissioners, which will not be before the hearing ends on Oct. 23.  

There are four ways to submit written testimony:  

  • Through the testimony submission form on the County’s website. Please note that the form does not allow for attachments. To submit testimony with an attachment, use the email address above. 
  • Mailed to Board of Commissioners Office, P.O. Box 3020, Corvallis, OR 97339. Mailed submissions must be received by 5 p.m. on the day the record closes — the postmark will not be taken into consideration. 
  • Hand delivered to Board of Commissioners Office (suite 100) in the Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis 

Written testimony can also be submitted in person at the hearing. A testimony table will be set up at the hearing location, opening one hour before the hearing and closing at the end of the session. 

Public record 

In preparation for the hearing to begin on Oct. 22, the Board of Commissioners is reviewing all documents in the public record of the Planning Commission hearing. Minutes and recordings from the hearing, along with all submitted materials, are part of that record.  

The LU-24-027 Public Record is now available on the County’s website. It replaces the record maintained on the MuniDocs platform during the Planning Commission hearing. All documents from MuniDocs are included, with these improvements: 

  • Many duplicate documents have been removed. 
  • Individuals who made multiple submissions on the same date will see a combined document for that date.
  • Attachments to emailed submissions are included within each document, rather than linked out.
  • All documents are keyword searchable. 
  • Documents can be indexed by search engines. 

The public record also includes new evidence submitted for the Board of Commissioners hearing. Applicant submissions and written public testimony are found below the Planning Commission record under the heading “Board of Commissioners de novo Record.” New submissions are uploaded to the record every Wednesday and Friday.  

For more information about the appeal hearing and instructions for giving written or verbal testimony, visit bentoncountyor.gov/coffin-butte-landfill. 

August 13, 2025 in News

Republic Services files appeal of Planning Commission decision to deny expansion of Coffin Butte Landfill

The Benton County Planning Division has received an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to deny LU-24-027, the application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill. The applicant, Republic Services, filed the appeal with the County on Tuesday, August 12.

The Planning Commission adopted the decision on Tuesday, July 29, opening a 14-day window in which any party could file an appeal to be heard before the Benton County Board of Commissioners.

Along with the appeal, the applicant requested a 60-day extension of the process, which was granted by the County. This gives all parties more time to fully consider evidence both before and after the public hearing. Prior to the extension, September 27 was the deadline to complete the quasi-judicial land use application process. The new deadline is November 26.

A public hearing before the Board of Commissioners will be scheduled for late October and announced as soon as date, time and location are finalized.

Virtual participation in the meetings will be provided through Zoom. Once hearing dates are set, those interested can visit the County website to register for Zoom meetings.

Ex parte communication rules regarding direct communication with the Benton County Commissioners remain in effect. As such, written testimony should be submitted to landfillappeals@bentoncountyor.gov or via the three other identified avenues on our website.

For more forthcoming information about the appeal hearing and instructions for giving written or verbal testimony, visit bentoncountyor.gov/coffin-butte-landfill or sign up as an interested party on our website.

July 31, 2025 in News

Planning Commission adopts decision to deny landfill expansion application

The Benton County Planning Commission met on July 29 to adopt their findings of fact and conclusions of law, finalizing their decision to deny LU-24-027 — Republic Services’ application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill. After about an hour of discussion on the document, the members of the Planning Commission voted unanimously to adopt the final written decision.

The Planning Commission had already met on July 22 to deliberate and come to a decision following more than 20 hours of presentations and verbal testimony by Benton County Planning Division staff, consultants, the applicant and community members in a series of in-person meetings that began on April 29. The July 22 meeting lasted nearly four hours.

The Planning Commission also received and reviewed thousands of pages of application materials, reports, exhibits and written public testimony and evidence.

Following the close of deliberations on July 22, the County created a final written document containing findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Before adopting the document on July 29, Planning Commission members discussed and voted on corrections. According to the quasi-judicial land use application process, only minor changes like corrections could be made without reopening deliberations. A motion to reopen deliberations, which would have extended the process, was made but not seconded, so deliberations remained closed during the meeting.

All parties have 14 days from the date of final decision (July 29) to file an appeal. The appeal deadline is 5 p.m. (close of business) on Tuesday, August 12. An appellant is charged the full cost to the County of the appeal, starting with a $5,000 deposit due when the appeal is filed. Appeals are heard by the Benton County Board of Commissioners.  

Learn more

July 11, 2025 in News

Final Open Record Period to end July 16 at 5:00 p.m. as public hearing on proposed landfill expansion concludes

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Benton County Planning Commission announces the deadline to submit written testimony in the public hearing on LU-24-027, Republic Services’ application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill. Reponses to new written evidence that was submitted during the hearings on July 8 and 9 will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16.

On July 8, the Benton County Planning Division, consultants and the applicant made presentations to the Planning Commission. The following evening, the Commission heard nearly four hours of verbal testimony from the public. Recordings of both meetings are available on the County’s YouTube channel.

No more presentations or verbal testimony will be heard.

At the conclusion of the meeting on July 9, the Commission recognized requests for a 7-day Responsive Open Record Period. The Responsive Open Record Period is for submission of written evidence, arguments or testimony for the purpose of responding to the new written evidence submitted at the July 8 and 9 hearing. Submissions should not respond to evidence introduced before those dates and should not include evidence that is not limited to responding to the written evidence submitted at the July 8 and 9 hearing.

The schedule of the remaining proceedings is as follows:

  • Wednesday, July 16 at 5 p.m.: Deadline to submit responsive evidence, arguments or testimony that responds to  new written evidence submitted on July 8 and 9. Responsive written evidence, argument and testimony can be submitted by emailing it to publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov  or delivering it  to the Planning Division/Community Development at 4500 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333 prior to July 16 at 5:00 p.m. Submissions received after that date and time will not be considered by the Planning Commission or included in the record.
  • Tuesday, July 22, 6 p.m.: Planning Commission meets for deliberations and decision on LU-24-027. Members of the public can attend in person or watch online. Location: 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis. No public testimony will be allowed.
  • Tuesday, July 29, 6 p.m.: Planning Commission meets to adopt the final written decision and findings on LU-24-027. Location TBD. Members of the public can watch online.

July 1, 2025 in News

Sign-up now open for verbal testimony on July 8 & 9

The Benton County Planning Division has opened online sign-up for those wishing to give verbal testimony about the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill. Registrants to give verbal testimony on July 8 or 9 will be added to the roster in the order in which the online sign-up form is completed.

The public hearing on LU-24-027 will resume on July 8 at 6 p.m. in the Holmes & Shipley meeting room of the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis. The meeting will begin with presentations of the supplemental staff report and the applicant’s supplemental materials. Any time remaining will be used for the presentation of public verbal testimony.

Verbal testimony will continue on Wednesday, July 9 at 6 p.m. The public hearing will end by 9 p.m. with no continuance or extension to a later time or date. The Planning Commission will accept verbal testimony until 8:45 p.m. on July 9 to allow the applicant 15 minutes for rebuttal.

To guarantee that new evidence, argument or testimony will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, community members should submit it in written format. To ensure adequate processing and delivery time for digital submissions, deadlines vary for the different methods:

  • The online form will close at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1.
  • Emailed submissions to publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov will be accepted until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1.
  • In-person delivery to the Community Development office will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Monday, July 7.
  • Mailed submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 7. The Planning Division will not consider the postmark date if a submission is received after this deadline.
  • In-person delivery at the public hearing will be accepted beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8 and Wednesday, July 9.

June 27, 2025 in News

Benton County releases supplemental staff report for hearing on proposed landfill expansion 

The Benton County Planning Division has released the supplemental staff report for LU-24-027, the conditional land use application for the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill. The report is available for public viewing on the County’s Munidocs platform. A number of new exhibits submitted by the applicant and the County have also been uploaded to the platform. 

The Planning Commission will reconvene on July 8 for the public hearing. It will be held in the Holmes & Shipley Meeting Room on the first floor of the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, with an option for online attendance through Zoom.  

Requests for physical or language accommodations should be emailed to permitcheck@bentoncountyor.gov at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing. 

The schedule for the rest of the application process is as follows: 

Tuesday, July 1, 1:00 p.m.  
Last date to submit written evidence through the online portal or by email. Written testimony may still be mailed or delivered in person to the Community Development Department (4500 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333). 

Monday, July 7, 4:00 p.m. 
Last date to submit written testimony in person at the Community Development Department and to receive mailed testimony (it must be received in-office by this date, NOT postmarked by this date). Written testimony can still be submitted in person at the public hearing on July 8 and 9. 

Tuesday, July 8, 6-9 p.m. 
Public hearing continues with presentations of supplemental staff report and applicant update. If time permits, begin public verbal testimony on new evidence only. 
Zoom registration  

Wednesday, July 9, 6-9 p.m.  
Public hearing finishes by 8:45 p.m. and applicant receives 15 minutes for rebuttal.  
Zoom registration  

Tuesday, July 22, 6 p.m. 
Deliberations by Planning Commission. No public comment will be heard. 
Zoom registration  

Tuesday, July 29, 6 p.m. 
Meeting to adopt final written decision and findings. 
Zoom registration 

Written testimony 

There are multiple ways to submit written testimony. To ensure adequate processing and delivery time for digital submissions, deadlines vary for the different methods: 

  • The online form will close at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1. 
  • In-person delivery to the Community Development office will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Monday, July 7. 
  • Mailed submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 7. The Planning Division will not consider the postmark date if a submission is received after this deadline. 
  • In-person delivery at the public hearing will be accepted starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8 and Wednesday, July 9. 

Verbal testimony 

Community members may participate in a second round of verbal testimony during the public hearing on July 8 and 9. This is an opportunity to present and rebut new evidence, arguments or testimony. This means evidence, arguments and testimony that has not been presented before and that contains new subject matter.  People who provided verbal testimony on May 6 or 8 may testify again as long as their testimony meets the novel information requirement. 

Sign-up for verbal testimony will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1 and close at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8.  

To sign up to deliver verbal testimony or find more information about LU-24-027, including recordings of all previous meetings in the public hearing, visit bentoncountyor.gov/coffin-butte-landfill. 

May 29, 2025 in News

Benton County announces additional meetings in landfill expansion hearing

The Benton County Planning Division announces several additional dates for the continuation of the public hearing on LU-24-027, Republic Services’ proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill.

The initial timeline for the public hearing before the Planning Commission included three days for presentations and public testimony on April 29 and May 1 and 6. A fourth day was added on May 8 to accommodate the volume of public verbal testimony. At the conclusion of that meeting, the hearing was continued to June 17, which had initially been intended as the date for deliberations and a decision.

The following dates have now been set to continue the proceedings. This is the expected schedule; dates are subject to change as necessary with prior notice. With the exception of the June 17 date, meetings will take place at the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis.

Tuesday, June 17, 6 p.m. – virtual (Zoom)
Planning Commission meets to continue hearing to July 8.

Tuesday, June 24
Supplemental staff report issued. This report will include analysis of public testimony and supplemental material submitted by the applicant.

Thursday, July 3, 4 p.m.
Deadline to submit written testimony through online form and email (publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov). Written evidence can still be submitted in person at the public hearing or at the Community Development office: 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, second floor.

Tuesday, July 8, 6-9 p.m.
Public hearing before the Planning Commission continues with presentation of revised staff report and presentation of applicant update. If time permits, begin public verbal testimony on new evidence only. Attestants can submit written testimony on new evidence during the meeting.

Wednesday, July 9, 6 p.m.
Continue public testimony if needed.

Tuesday, July 22, 6 p.m.
Deliberations by Planning Commission. Open to the public, but no public comment will be heard.

Tuesday, Jul 29, 6 p.m.
Meeting to adopt final written decision and findings.

The deadline to reach a decision on the application has been extended from August 11 to September 27. Republic Services requested and was granted a 47-day extension of the 150-day timeline. This is the second extension that has been granted.

According to Benton County Code, the timeline for making land use decisions is 150 days. Applicants are allowed to request up to 215 additional days for the process, for a total of 365 days. This can come as multiple requests throughout the process, each one changing the end date. Republic Services’ first extension request was granted in January, extending the time prior to the start of the public hearing by 58 days.

For more information and access to documents related to LU-24-027, visit bentoncountyor.gov/coffin-butte-landfill.

May 7, 2025 in News

Benton County extends public hearing on proposed landfill expansion

The Benton County Planning Commission has added a supplemental day to hear verbal public testimony on Republic Services’ application for the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill. The public hearing was continued — that is, postponed to a future date — at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, and will resume at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 in the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis.

The Public Hearing on LU-24-027 was originally scheduled for three days of presentations, reports and testimony in late April and early May, with a fourth meeting in June for Commissioners to discuss the application and come to a decision. After nearly three hours of verbal testimony on the third day, the Commission had heard from only half of the 78 community members who signed up to testify. After a brief discussion and motion, the Commissioners voted to add the additional meeting and resume two days later so all community voices can be heard.

Revised hearing schedule

Tuesday, April 29
The County Planning Division and consultants presented the staff report, then addressed questions from the Planning Commission. View the recording of Day 1.

Thursday, May 1
Republic Services presented the application, then addressed questions from the Planning Commission. View the recording of Day 2.

Tuesday, May 6
Members of the public delivered verbal testimony. Each person who signed up was allotted three minutes to speak; some opted to cede their time to another speaker to allow that person more time to deliver their prepared message. Testimony was delivered by or on behalf of 37 people. View the recording of Day 3.

Continuance, Thursday, May 8, 6 p.m. – complete
The Planning Commission will hear testimony by the remaining people on the verbal testimony roster. Registration for verbal testimony closed at 6 p.m. on May 6, so no additional attestants will be added. Following the conclusion of verbal testimony, representatives of Republic Services will have an opportunity to deliver a brief rebuttal. Register for virtual participation through Zoom.

Tuesday, June 17, 6 p.m. – complete
Deliberations and decision by the Planning Commission. Zoom registration

Attendees who need any physical or language accommodations should notify Benton County Community Development (permitcheck@bentoncountyor.gov) at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing.

Written testimony

Written testimony is still being accepted in four ways: online form, regular mail, email (publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov) and hand delivery. Benton County Planning Division staff are posting compiled written testimony to the online Munidocs platform soon after it is received. The latest batch of comments includes those received through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6.

More information about the public hearing is available on the Coffin Butte Landfill webpage.

May 6, 2025 in News

Landfill Hearing recordings, dates and testimony deadlines

The Public Hearing on LU-24-027, Republic Services’ application for the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill, began on Tuesday, April 29. The Benton County Planning Commission scheduled four meetings for the hearing. It is open to the public in the Holmes & Shipley Meeting Room on the first floor of the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, OR.

Tuesday, April 29
The County Planning Division and consultants presented the staff report, then addressed questions from the Planning Commission. View the recording of Day 1.

Thursday, May 1
Republic Services presented the application, then addressed questions from the Planning Commission. View the recording of Day 2.

Tuesday, May 6, 6 – 9 p.m.
The Planning Commission will hear public verbal testimony. The deadline to register for verbal testimony is 6 p.m. on May 6. Those who wish to participate remotely should register with Zoom.

Tuesday, June 17, 6 p.m. – complete
Deliberations and decision. Zoom registration

Attendees who need any physical or language accommodations should notify Benton County Community Development (permitcheck@bentoncountyor.gov) at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing.

Verbal and written testimony

Written testimony is still being accepted in four ways: online form, regular mail, email (publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov) and hand delivery. The deadline to submit written testimony has not been set. This date is determined by the Planning Commission, and the Chair is expected to announce the deadline in the May 6 meeting.

May 6 at 6 p.m. is the deadline to sign up to share verbal testimony during the hearing. Names are added to the verbal testimony roster in the order in which they are submitted. A testimony sign-up table is available in the lobby beginning one hour prior to meeting start times. Verbal testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per person.

More information about the public hearing is available on the Coffin Butte Landfill webpage.

April 30, 2025 in News

Landfill Hearing: Day 1 recording and recap; what to expect on Day 2

Day 1 recap

The Public Hearing on LU-24-027, Republic Services’ application for the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill, began on Tuesday, April 29. Benton County Planning Commission Chair Nicholas Fowler started the meeting at 6 p.m. The County’s Planning Division presented the staff report. Planning Commission members asked many follow-up questions that were addressed by the County’s Planning Official, consultants and representatives from Republic Services. The Hearing was recessed around 8:45 p.m.

View the recording of Day 1.

Day 2 expectations

Presentation and discussion of the staff report on Day 1 took more time than projected. Republic Services’ presentation, planned for the first meeting, will take place when the hearing resumes at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. The Planning Commission will then move on to public verbal testimony if time permits.

If the applicant presentation and subsequent discussion fills the scheduled meeting time, public testimony will likely begin on Tuesday, May 6.

The hearing is open to the public in the Holmes & Shipley Meeting Room on the first floor of the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, OR. The room has a posted capacity of 133 people, although fewer can be accommodated during the staff and applicant presentation portion of the hearing while tables are in place for the presenters. A viewing/listening room is available on the second floor of the Kalapuya building. An additional overflow space, not utilized on Day 1, will be opened on the first floor.

Attendees who need any physical or language accommodations should notify Benton County Community Development (permitcheck@bentoncountyor.gov) at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing.

The hearing can also be viewed through Zoom.

Verbal and written testimony

A new batch of compiled written testimony was posted to Munidocs on April 29. This includes comments received through noon on April 28.

Written testimony is still being accepted in four ways: online form, regular mail, email (publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov) and hand delivery. Details are available on the Coffin Butte Landfill webpage.

Members of the public can sign up to share verbal testimony during the hearing. Names will be added to the verbal testimony roster in the order in which they are submitted, either through the webform or in person at the public hearings. A testimony sign-up table is available in the lobby beginning one hour prior to meeting start times. Verbal testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per person.

Registration for verbal testimony will be open as long as the Public Hearing is in session or until 6 p.m. on May 6, whichever comes first.

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