Editorial: Landfill advisory committee needs ongoing transparency

By NewsRegister.com

We think Yamhill County Solid Waste Advisory Committee member George Duvendack made the right decision when he recused himself from further discussions with Zia Engineering and Environmental Consultants regarding alternatives to the expansion of Riverbend Landfill. Duvendack is the manager of the landfill, which stands to profit greatly if the expansion is approved by Yamhill County commissioners.

Zia was hired by the county to perform the alternatives study after commissioners delayed their decision on the landfill expansion earlier this year. The consulting firm is expected to issue their report to the commission in October. SWAC is tasked with answering technical questions from the consultants and perhaps giving the commissioners an advisory opinion on certain aspects of the alternatives study.

From our perspective, there are plenty of potential conflicts for other SWAC members as well. Two members, Erin Rainey, who lives near the landfill, and Jennifer Redmond-Noble, oppose its expansion. Committee chair Joe Cook is chief financial officer for Western Oregon Waste, which also does business with the landfill.

The seven-member committee is appointed by the commissioners. No more than two members may hold waste disposal franchises from the county — Duvendack and Cook fill those positions. But clearly, the commissioners set the parameters of the study and will make the final decision.

One alternative to the landfill expansion is offered by Bend-based InEnTec, which has developed a gasification system that converts almost any type of biomass or waste material into clean energy and other usable products with minimal environmental impact. The system, called the Plasma Enhanced Melter or PEM, addresses the critical push for both the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a sustainable global energy future. It’s a system viewed favorably by both opponents to the expansion and Riverbend officials, although they argue about when and how it could be constructed in Yamhill County.

Riverbend claims, even though it’s entered into a joint venture with InEnTec, that development would require significant public investment and higher disposal fees. However, landfill opponent Ramsey McPhillips has written assurances from InEnTec’s founder Jeffrey Surma that the system could be paid for in full by InEnTec and could be up and running by 2014 when Riverbend’s contract expires.

County commissioners have a tough decision ahead. They’ll need to work hard to maintain transparency in their review, and potential approval, of findings from the Zia study.