State of Oregon Fines Coffin Butte Landfill Over $3 Million for Air Violations
Largest civil fine in the agency’s history...
The State of Oregon has issued a $3.02 million fine against Coffin Butte Landfill, after regulators found multiple air-quality violations at the facility. The penalty, issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), is the largest civil fine in the agency’s history.
The civil penalty issued to Valley Landfills is the largest fine ever levied by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. According to DEQ records, the five largest penalties in the agency’s history are:
Valley Landfills Inc. (2026) – $3,016,128
Thompson Technical Services (2022) – $2,723,895
Malarkey Roofing Company (2021) – $2,105,405
Port of Morrow (2022) – $2,100,351
Cain Petroleum (2001) – $1,428,720
The Coffin Butte penalty now tops the list, surpassing previous major enforcement actions issued over the past two decades.
The enforcement order targets Valley Landfills Inc., a subsidiary of Republic Services, which operates the regional landfill that accepts waste from much of western Oregon. State investigators say the company failed to properly monitor and control landfill gas emissions, including methane, over several years.
How landfills can polute air if failed to properly monitor and control landfill gas emissions
Landfills can contribute to air pollution as organic waste, such as food scraps, paper, and yard debris, breaks down without oxygen. This process produces landfill gas, a mixture primarily made up of methane and carbon dioxide.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and landfill gas can also contain smaller amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants that affect local air quality.
If gas-collection systems are poorly maintained or insufficient, these emissions can escape into the atmosphere, sometimes causing strong odors and raising concerns for nearby communities.
According to DEQ officials, the violations date back to at least 2021 and include problems with emissions monitoring, an undersized gas-collection system, and inaccurate reporting of emissions data. Regulators also said the landfill failed to consistently operate equipment designed to capture methane and other gases before they escape into the air.
State officials said the enforcement order is intended to bring the facility back into compliance with both state and federal environmental laws.
Much of the fine… more than $2.2 million… represents the economic benefit regulators say the landfill gained by avoiding required environmental controls, including monitoring and upgrades to its gas-collection system.
The action comes amid heightened scrutiny of the landfill. Earlier this month, the Benton County Board of Commissioners denied a proposal to expand Coffin Butte, citing concerns raised by state regulators about the landfill’s current operations.`
See the article about the board denial here.
For residents in the Corvallis area, the record fine adds another chapter to a long-running debate over the landfill’s environmental impact, odor complaints, and its future role in the region’s waste system.
— The Corvallis Inquirer, March 12, 2026
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