Coffin Butte Landfill
Coffin Butte Landfill
JUMP TO: About the Landfill | CUP Application Timeline | The Decision Process | Benton County Code | Background: BCTT
Current status
On July 29, 2025, the Planning Commission adopted its decision to deny LU-24-027 (the application to expand Coffin Butte Landfill). Since that time:
- The applicant filed an appeal of the decision on August 12, 2025.
- The applicant also requested and was granted an extension to the appeals process timeline.
- A hearing before the Board of Commissioners will be scheduled for the appeal. (Date TBA)
- A new email address, landfillappeals@bentoncountyor.gov, was created to collect public comment/written testimony specifically for the appeal hearing.
Keep reading for more information!
Appeal details
The Benton County Planning Division has received an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to deny the application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill. The applicant, Republic Services, filed the appeal with the County on Tuesday, August 12.
The appeal will be heard by the Benton County Board of Commissioners (more information below).
Extension details
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 hearing before the Board of Commissioners. Prior to the extension, September 27 was the deadline to complete the quasi-judicial land use application process. The new deadline is Wednesday, November 26.
Board of Commissioners public hearing information
WHEN: Late October. TBA as soon as location is finalized
WHERE: TBA
Virtual participation in the meetings will be provided through Zoom. Zoom links will be announced as soon as date, time and location are set.
This is a de novo hearing. The Board of Commissioners will consider all the evidence presented in the previous hearing before the Planning Commission – including verbal testimony captured in meeting recordings – and will consider new evidence submitted while the record is open prior to and new evidence and testimony presented during the hearing. The Board of Commissioners will consider all the evidence and testimony relevant to the applicable criteria in the Benton County Code and make a decision about whether to approve or deny the application.
The Board of Commissioners has received and is reviewing all evidence and testimony presented to the Planning Commission.
A draft staff report considering all evidence presented since the start of the appeal will be published at least seven days before the hearing.
The hearing will include presentations by the County’s planning official and the applicant, followed by verbal public testimony and then applicant rebuttal.
Verbal testimony
Public testimony will be heard by the Board of Commissioners. Any person can sign up to give up to three minutes of verbal testimony regardless of their participation in the earlier Planning Commission hearing.
Sign-up will be available seven days before the first hearing date. Instructions and a link to a sign-up form will be available closer to that date.
If time remains available, attestants can also sign up in person at the hearing location starting one hour before the first hearing. The sign-up window for all verbal testimony will close at the start of the hearing.
Verbal testimony details
Attestants will be added to the testimony list in the order in which they sign up. Proponents are then allowed to testify first, in order of sign-up, with opponents following.
Anyone who signs up to deliver verbal testimony can cede their three minutes to another attestant.
PLEASE NOTE: Unlike the procedure for testimony before the Planning Commission, the Board of Commissioners does not allow for trading of timeslots. For example, the person in position 3 on the testimony list can cede their time to the person in position 10, but that speaker must wait until position 10 to testify for six minutes (3+3) instead of being allowed to testify in place of the person in position 3 who ceded their time.
Verbal testimony is live testimony delivered in person or through Zoom. It does not include video or slides. Any printed visual aids used during testimony can be submitted to the record as written evidence. Paper copies will not be distributed to the commissioners during the hearing.
Written testimony
Written evidence and testimony will be collected until the record is closed. Information to keep in mind:
- Any testimony submitted after 5:00 p.m. seven days before the first hearing will be held and submitted in a packet to the Board of Commissioners at the first hearing.
- Unless otherwise announced, the record closes at the conclusion of the hearing.
All written testimony should contain the following information to ensure receipt of the mailed notice of decision at the conclusion of the hearing:
- First and last name
- Mailing address (through city, state, ZIP and country)
- Email address
- Your position on the proposed expansion (proponent or opponent)
It can be submitted four ways:
- By email to landfillappeals@bentoncountyor.gov. The appeal will be heard before a different body than the initial hearing – the Board of Commissioners rather than the Planning Commission – so public comment should be sent to this NEW email address.
- Through the testimony submission form on the County’s website. Please note that this submission style does not allow for attachments. If you would like to submit testimony with an attachment, use the email identified above.
- Mailed to Board of Commissioners Office, P.O. Box 3020, Corvallis, OR 97339. Mailed submissions must be received by 5:00 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.
Written testimony submission details
Written testimony includes anything that can be printed on paper or saved in a digital file, including images and video.
For audio and video submissions, file sizes are likely too large to submit via email. As such, we have created a Secure File Transfer Platform — please email us directly for the upload link. If you are not comfortable with this upload platform, you can come in person to the Board of Commissioners Office for support. If you submit a hyperlink to a hosting platform, it will not become part of the record.
Accepted file formats include the following:
- DOCX
- XLSX
- TXT
- CSV
- JPG/JPEG
- PNG
- GIF
- MP3
- MP4
- WAV
- MOV
- AVI
PAST Planning Commission hearing information
UPDATED 8/13/25: The Planning Commission has concluded their hearings and adopted a final decision on July 29. The decision was to deny this CUP application.
Planning Commission Hearing details
You can watch meeting recordings for all of the Planning Commission sessions below.
| Tuesday, April 29, 6 – 9 p.m. meeting recording | Day 1: Staff report |
| Thursday, May 1, 6 – 9 p.m. meeting recording | Day 2: Applicant presentation |
| Tuesday, May 6, 6 – 10 p.m. meeting recording | Day 3: Public testimony |
| NEW – Thursday, May 8, 6 p.m. – complete meeting recording | Day 4: Public testimony; applicant rebuttal |
| Tuesday, June 17, 6 p.m. meeting recording | Day 5: Planning Commission continued hearing to July 8 |
| Tuesday, July 8, 6-9 p.m. meeting recording | Day 6: Public hearing continues with presentations of supplemental staff report and applicant update. If time permits, begin public verbal testimony on new evidence ONLY. |
| Wednesday, July 9, 6-9 p.m. meeting recording | Day 7: Public hearing continues, including public testimony |
| Tuesday, July 22, 6 p.m. meeting recording | Day 8: Deliberations by Planning Commission. Open to the public, but no public comment will be heard. |
| Tuesday, July 29, 6 p.m. meeting recording | Day 9: Meeting to adopt final written decision and findings. |
About the Landfill
Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County takes in waste from several counties in the mid-Willamette Valley and Oregon Coast.
History
The landfill was created in the1940s by the U.S. Army for waste disposal from the former Camp Adair. It was expanded and designated a regional landfill under the 1974 Chemeketa Region Solid Waste Management Program, a cooperative effort between Benton, Linn, Marion, Yamhill and Polk Counties. Valley Landfills, Inc., purchased it in 1975 for use as a municipal landfill. Republic Services, Inc. become the parent company of the landfill in a 2008 merger.
For more historical background see this detailed landfill timeline.
Size and Development
The landfill site comprises 740 acres. Of that, only 178 acres are permitted for waste disposal (including the quarry). The site includes 40 acres of wetlands and 556 acres dedicated to preservation and non-landfill operations.
Regulation
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) manages three permits for the facility that regulate air, land and water quality. Renewal of the Title V air quality permit is in process. (updated 4/30/25) Learn more >
Benton County regulates land use and building for the facility.
Proposed Landfill Expansion
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Application
The full text of Republic Services’ CUP application can be viewed on the Munidocs platform. Please note that Benton County posts and shares submitted documents as they are received from applicants, without converting to other formats, to maintain objectivity and document integrity.
- Landfill expansion application (submitted July 19, 2024)
- Revised application (submitted Oct. 30, 2024)
- Application Burden of Proof (submitted Jan. 15, 2025)
- First Addendum to Burden of Proof (submitted March 14, 2025)
CUP Application Timeline
CUP application timeline
July 19, 2024. Republic Services submitted a Conditional Use Permit application to expand the Coffin Butte landfill.
Aug. 16, 2024. The application was deemed Incomplete.
Oct. 30, 2024. Applicant submitted a revised CUP application.
Jan. 15, 2025. Applicant submitted supplemental information (Burden of Proof) to Benton County, bringing the application to the point that it met the qualifications to be deemed Complete. Applicant requested a 58-day extension to allow extra time before the public hearing before the Planning Commission is scheduled.
Jan. 20, 2025. Applicant’s request for a 58-day extension was granted.
March 14, 2025. Applicant submitted an addendum to the Burden of Proof.
March 19, 2025. Benton County announced the schedule for a Public Hearing before the Planning Commission and opened the public comment period.
April 22, 2025. The Benton County Planning Division released the staff report recommending denial of the application, exhibits and public written testimony to date.
April 29, 2025. Public hearing, day 1: presentation of the staff report. View meeting recording.
May 1, 2025. Public hearing, day 2: applicant presentation. View meeting recording.
May 6, 2025. Public hearing, day 3: public verbal testimony. View meeting recording.
May 8, 2025. Public hearing, day 4: public verbal testimony. Republic Services requested and was granted a 47-day extension. Hearing was continued. View meeting recording.
June 17, 2025: Public hearing, day 5: Planning Commission convened to continue public hearing to a later date. View meeting recording.
June 26, 2025: Release of the supplemental staff report recommending approval of the application with conditions.
July 8, 2025: Public hearing, day 6: presentations of supplemental staff report and applicant update. View meeting recording.
July 9, 2025: Open record period closed at 6 p.m. Public hearing, day 7: public verbal testimony on new evidence. Planning Commission opened a 7-day Responsive Open Record Period for responses to new evidence presented in the July 8 and 9 hearings. View meeting recording.
July 16, 2025: Responsive Open Record Period closed at 5 p.m.
July 22, 2025: After more than three hours of deliberations, the Planning Commission voted to deny the application. View meeting recording. The County began preparing written findings of fact and conclusions of law.
July 29, 2025: Planning Commission met and adopted the final written decision and findings denying the application. View meeting recording.
Aug. 13, 2025 until close of Board of Commissioners Public Hearing
Public comment period for the public hearing before the Board of Commissioners, which is scheduled to begin in late October, 2025. Members of the public can submit written testimony through the online form, email, postal mail and hand delivery. Those who wish to deliver verbal testimony during the multi-day hearing should use the forthcoming form to sign up.
Nov. 26, 2025
Final date for decision by the Board of Commissioners office regarding LU-24-027.
Understanding the Decision Process
Conditional Use Basics from Benton County Code
In accordance with Benton County Code 51.535, once an application moves forward to the decision process the County has 150 days to determine if the proposed use of the land meets criteria outlined in County Code.
Applicants are allowed to request up to 215 additional days for this process, for a total of 365. This can come as multiple requests throughout the process, so the end date can change multiple times during the process.
53.215 – Criteria
The decision to approve a conditional use permit shall be based on findings that:
(1) The proposed use does not seriously interfere with uses on adjacent property, with the character of the area, or with the purpose of the zone;
(2) The proposed use does not impose an undue burden on any public improvements, facilities, utilities, or services available to the area; and
(3) The proposed use complies with any additional criteria which may be required for the specific use by this code. [Ord. 90-0069]
53.220 – Conditions of Approval
Conditions may address, but are not limited to:
(1) Size & location of site.
(2) Road capacities in the area.
(3) Number & location of road access points.
(4) Location & amount of off-street parking.
(5) Internal traffic circulation.
(6) Fencing, screening & landscape
(7) Height & square footage of building.
(8) Signs.
(9) Exterior lighting.
(10) Noise, vibration, air pollution, & other environmental influences.
(11) Water supply & sewage disposal.
(12) Law enforcement & fire protection.
[Ord. 26; Ord. 90-0069]
Background: Benton County Talks Trash (BCTT)
Following a pair of conflicting 2021 decisions from its appointed solid waste and land use bodies, and in response to substantial community concern over a proposed landfill expansion, the Board of County Commissioners asked Oregon Consensus to help understand the situation and identify, if possible, a constructive path forward on solid waste and disposal, including at the Coffin Butte Landfill. Following the Board’s direction, a third-party facilitation team helped convene a community member-based Workgroup representing a diverse balance of perspectives and established a Charter and Bylaws to guide the work.
Dubbed “Benton County Talks Trash,” the workgroup was tasked with building “common understandings” around key topics and outlining the table of contents for a modern, long-term Sustainable Materials Management Plan. To complete these tasks, the workgroup established five subcommittees to dive into specific topic areas and then report back:
- Developing a Sustainable Materials Management Plan (SMMP)
- Estimating the Landfill Size, Capacity and Longevity
- Clarifying legal issues and reviewing land use law
- Determining the status of past land use Conditions of Approval
- Improving Community Education and Outreach