That stalled landfill expansion request is back in motion. According to the County, Republic Services submitted added information to their original application on Jan.15, and if the application is deemed complete, the County, by law, will have 150 days from that date to approve or reject the expansion.
In a release, the County said, “The latest application revision is now being reviewed for Completeness by County Planning Officials and an independent consultant. If it is deemed Complete, the County will provide a process timeline, public comment period, and tentative public hearing date(s) before the Benton County Planning Commission. County Code dictates that this process, including appeals, be completed within 150 days, putting the end date in June 2025.”
The history
Republic submitted a conditional use pre-application on July 19, 2024, which the County deemed Incomplete. In accordance with county code, Republic then had 180 days from the submission of the pre-application to submit revisions and provide additional documentation to reach completeness. A revised application was submitted to the county on Oct. 30, 2024.
Representatives from Republic Services met with the County Planning Division in December 2024 to discuss points of clarification and additional narrative detail needed to reach Completion. It was a private meeting. According to the County, “Dialogue between permit applicants and the County is a standard part of the land use application process and does not occur in public meetings.”
Further back, in 2023, the Benton County Planning Commission rejected a proposal from Republic to expand the landfill. The company then filed an appeal with the County, but later withdrew it.
For more information
The pre-application drafts are available online through Munidocs. The supplemental material submitted on January 15 can be viewed and downloaded from the Benton County website. A printed copy of the application is also available for viewing in the Community Development Department on the second floor at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis.
The Advocate published an editorial regarding the expansion last year. We centered on concerns that local, state and federal government would need to ask more questions, and tougher questions, about the expansion than they have – and be able to offer a more reliably rigorous and transparent regulatory framework – before considering approval.
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