Oregon DEQ Issues Record $3M Fine Against Coffin Butte Landfill

Oregon's environmental regulators leveled a $3,016,128 civil penalty against Valley Landfills Inc., the Republic Services subsidiary that operates Coffin Butte Landfill north of Corvallis, marking the largest fine the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has ever issued in its history.

The enforcement order, issued March 11, alleges serious failures stretching back to 2021 at the 178-acre Benton County site: Valley Landfills failed to properly monitor methane emissions, did not install a properly sized gas collection system, failed to consistently keep its flares operational, had no plan to regularly repair the landfill's cover, and submitted inaccurate emissions reports to the state. The Statesman Journal reported DEQ fined the company for 10 serious air quality violations and cited, without fining, an additional four violations, two of them also serious.

More than $2.2 million of the penalty, specifically $2,265,528, represents the economic benefit DEQ says Valley Landfills gained by avoiding those compliance costs. DEQ indicated it may recalculate that portion downward if the company completes required corrective actions to manage landfill gas more effectively.

Erin Saylor, manager of DEQ's Office of Compliance and Enforcement, framed the order as a starting point rather than a conclusion. "The issuance of the enforcement is really just the start of the process," she said. "We'll have this lengthy conversation with them going forward to ensure that we get to a place where they pay an adequate penalty to deter future non-compliance, but also, more importantly, bring them into compliance going forward."

Saylor also explained the broader stakes of uncontrolled landfill gas. "Landfills produce significant amounts of methane, which is a driver of climate change. Landfill gas also contains hazardous air pollutants and odors that may impact human welfare."

The action caps a multi-year compliance investigation conducted jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEQ. The EPA formally referred the case to DEQ in October 2025, after which DEQ took over enforcement. Saylor noted the scope of the problem: "The landfill covers a very large area. There's a number of quarters and a number of years for which they've been out of compliance."

The enforcement follows years of community odor complaints tied to the site. Mason Leavitt of the Eugene-based environmental group Beyond Toxics welcomed the penalty but pressed for closer oversight. "I want to see a much more hands-on approach by DEQ, really knowing that some of the things that Republic Services says are happening are in fact happening on the ground," Leavitt said. He added that financial accountability was "a necessary step to improve operations at the site."

Republic Services, in an email sent to KLCC the day the order was issued, said it had received DEQ's notice and planned to work closely with state regulators to reach a resolution.

The enforcement order arrives as Republic Services has separately asked Benton County for a conditional use permit to expand the 178-acre landfill. DEQ's Air Quality program also plans to renew Valley Landfills' Title V air permit this spring, with a draft permit that carries more stringent requirements reflecting the enforcement action; the public will have an opportunity to comment during that renewal process.