Short Mountain
CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility was approved by Lane County Board of Commissioners in 2023.
On December 5th, 2023, the Lane County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the Integrated Materials and Resource Recovery Facility (IMERF)! This action will make Lane County Oregon’s top leader in solid waste management!
We heard from inside sources that testimony from the advocates, such as comments submitted by Beyond Toxics members, was clearly heard and helped win the support of the majority of County Commissioners. We are deeply grateful to YOU, our savvy and engaged members, for your strong partnership in the work we do together for climate action and toxics reduction! We are proud!
Your advocacy helped win the following benefits for our local community and and future generations.
Background
Why is it important to keep food and yard waste out of the landfill?
Organic material in the landfill decays anaerobically - producing methane, carbon dioxide, and other trace gasses. Methane and carbon dioxide are categorized as pollutants due to their warming potential in the atmosphere. Methane can build up at a landfill and result in massive leaks to the atmosphere. Additionally, carbon monoxide and particulates are produced when landfill gas is burned as fuel at the current gas-to-energy facility. The proposed waste processing facility would improve local air quality by reducing the output of gasses and particulates from the landfill.
Why is it important to reduce the amount of waste materials going to the landfill?
Every landfill has a “lifespan” after which it must be closed down. With the proposed facility, Lane County can achieve a materials recovery rate over 70% and extend the remaining life of the County’s municipal solid waste landfill by more than 20 years. This important action will help prevent creating more environmental and climate problems today that will harm the next generations!
How will the waste recovery facility improve water quality?
As moisture moves downward through a landfill, it creates toxic leachate. To prevent contamination of groundwater with heavy metals and forever chemicals, the leachate must be collected and disposed of, at great cost to the public. Short Mountain collects the leachate oozing from the landfill, pipes it to holding tanks, and send millions of gallons by truck it to the Eugene Municipal Waste Water Processing Plant to be released to the Willamette River. Diverting 80,000 tons of trash every year will reduce the amount of leachate that must be dumped into the Willamette River, home to salmon and the source of drinking water for many Oregonians living downstream.