Senate Bill 726, passed in 2025, requires Coffin Butte landfill to implement better methane monitoring procedures. The proposed monitoring, corrective actions, and the recent record-breaking $3 million fine are critical ways of holding Republic Services accountable for public health harms.
There is an upcoming virtual public hearing which will include a presentation of the rule changes by DEQ and the opportunity to give comments verbally. This is an excellent time to let DEQ know they are on the right track! Stronger monitoring procedures help protect local public health for people who live and work near landfills and keep Oregon accountable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What is This Rulemaking For?
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed the use of drones to detect leaks of landfill gas at Coffin Butte to fulfill the requirements of SB 726, similar to an EPA-developed plan called “OTM-51.” DEQ has also suggested that Coffin Butte may develop a different set of procedures to conduct monitoring, so long as they are evaluated and approved by the DEQ. These better practices will lead to more efficient and effective gas leak detection so they can be repaired in a timely manner.
To learn more about why these methods are necessary, Read Beyond Toxics’ 2025 report, “Oregon’s Secret Climate Killers.”
The rulemaking for SB 726 also makes small adjustments to clarify the statewide methane monitoring and reporting requirements for all large landfills. It also allows Oregon landfills to use the OTM-51 drone monitoring strategies; DEQ ruled this as optional.
Lane County Public Works has pursued these stronger monitoring practices at Short Mountain Landfill to support the county’s greenhouse gas emissions targets. Beyond Toxics hopes that other landfills will follow suit, though for-profit landfills often do not have an incentive to do so.
This rulemaking is a historic step in modernizing landfill gas methane regulations in the US. Oregon is the first state to pass such legislation, though California and Colorado have also pursued their own stronger standards.