Landfill issue is framed as an ‘us vs. them’ battle

By Ramsey McPhillips (Guest Editor, Newberg Graphic— March 28, 2009) Why have we been pitted against each other in a landfill fight ... the paper mill and steel mill against the local Yamhill County farmers, vintners and elected land and water stewards? Why have our county commissioners been made to look like this land use decision is about either saving jobs and garbage rates or saving century-old farms, tourism and the river? Who created this artificial wedge between good local folks that has resulted in a monopoly aimed at controlling the profits for our solid waste dollars? The landfill opposition group acknowledged and testified in front of the commissioners to the hardships that closing Riverbend Landfill could bring to the workers, businesses and residences of Yamhill County. That is why they offered so many positive, commercially-viable Riverbend alternatives that would not raise our garbage bills. They were viable solutions that save and create more jobs, lower garbage rates and save the farms, many of which are more than 100 years old. Why destroy the farms, risk the river and double the height of the garbage mountain if all it provides is a huge profit for a big Texas company? What are the farmers and tourism sacrificed for? Not lower garbage rates, that is for sure!  Advocating that Riverbend is the only option for stable, cheap business garbage service is a propaganda ploy the commissioners will surely see through. I want a formal apology from those who have claimed that our garbage rates will go up 250 percent if we close Riverbend in 2014. Waste Management paid out-of-county people to knock on our doors and frighten us with this statistic. They have spent over a million dollars on this campaign. The record is now clear; Waste Management's competitor has weighed in on the public record and said they could reasonably compete for our garbage rates in 2014 if Riverbend closes. This competitor is bidding on Yamhill County business garbage contracts today. Waste Management has enjoyed a monopoly in Yamhill County, but because of our efforts we now have some very healthy solid waste competition. The land use application is for today but the problem of actually closing the landfill is five years off. No one at the steel mill or the paper mill is losing his or her job today because the landfill may close in five years. However, dump nuisance conditions are running farming families off their property today and will destroy even more if allowed to expand. The law protects the farms from expanding regional dumps onto state agricultural land. Has anyone who advocates expansion visited the 40 or 50 farms that are experiencing loss? The answer is no. Now that we know the garbage rates need not be higher if Riverbend closes, we hope the steel mill and the paper mill join the farmers in asking for a denial of this land use application. One thing is for sure. Until this decision is finally made there will be very powerful out-of-state entities aiming their destructive bottom line at some of the oldest farms and most vulnerable waterways in the state. That is why all the elected Yamhill County Soil and Water district members voted against expansion. Look at the actual record of lost property value, lost property sales and mounting nuisance claims and then you will understand why the planning commission voted 7- 0 to deny. Does anyone really believe all seven planning commission members would have voted no if they thought their was truth to the Waste Management claim that they would be voting to take people's jobs or raise their garbage rates five years from now? The county commissioners are going to have a hard time approving a landfill plan that has universal rejection by the two county advisory bodies that have already voted for denial. Go out to the landfill, stand on any surrounding farm, and then picture the landfill twice as high (from the road). What you see is why the Yamhill County Planning Department rejected Riverbend's site plan. Denial of the site plan mandates a rejection of the entire land use application. Twice the landfill size will bring twice the profits for Waste Management, but twice the problems for Yamhill County. We want to save the farms and our garbage rates. We believe the landfill inhibits jobs. We are working to create jobs to replace those working at the landfill while adding a lot more with new technology and zero waste cost savings. We have urged our commissioners to deny the land use zone change application and find a solid waste solution for all the businesses in the county; steel workers, mill workers, retail workers, landfill workers, homeowners and farmers alike. Waste Management needs a winner-takes-all land use victory. But Yamhill County needs a community land use mission in which everyone wins; a local mission, not a rate-baiting fight to secure a monopoly. A local mission that follows the law, keeps our garbage rates low and concludes in fairness. Why destroy the farms, tourism and risk the river if it isn't necessary? We have five years to embrace the future and we really urge the county commissioners to join all the previous votes to deny the application. As the students from George Fox College said in their testimony to deny the Riverbend application: "We are willing to recognize that we, as people who throw away trash, are just as responsible for environmental damage as those who store it." We hope the Commissioners agree. Ramsey McPhillips is owner of McPhillips Farms near Riverbend Landfill