DEQ issues enforcement order, $3 million civil penalty to Coffin Butte Landfill for air quality violations

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an enforcement order to Valley Landfills Inc. today that includes a civil penalty of more than $3 million for air quality violations at Coffin Butte Landfill north of Corvallis.

DEQ’s order alleges that Valley Landfills Inc. – a subsidiary of Republic Services – failed to monitor, capture, and control landfill gas emissions as required under both federal and state law. Landfill gas is regulated because it includes hazardous air pollutants that may harm human health, contributes to odors, and is comprised mostly of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

The exact amount of the civil penalty is $3,016,128. Most of the civil penalty – $2,265,528 – represents the economic benefit that Valley Landfills gained by avoiding the following costs:

• Surface emissions monitoring.
• Installing new landfill gas collection wells in response to exceedances of standards.
• Installing and operating adequate and consistent landfill gas controls.
• Preparing an amended design plan.
• Monitoring and repairing the landfill cover.

The order requires Valley Landfills to complete multiple corrective actions to more effectively manage landfill gas. If Valley Landfills completes the corrective actions, DEQ will consider recalculating some of the avoided costs as delayed, which will reduce the civil penalty.

The enforcement order, issued by DEQ’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement, follows the pre-enforcement notice that DEQ’s air quality program issued on Nov. 6, 2025. Valley Landfills has 20 days to appeal the order. If there is an appeal, then the corrective action deadlines in the order will be stayed pending final resolution of the case.

“Landfills produce significant amounts of methane, which is a driver of climate change,” said DEQ Office of Compliance and Enforcement Manager Erin Saylor. “Landfill gas also contains hazardous air pollutants and odors that may impact human welfare. This order addresses violations of state and federal laws that are intended to mitigate these risks to human health and the environment and sets out DEQ’s expectations for Coffin Butte Landfill to return to compliance.”

This action is the result of a multi-year compliance investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DEQ. EPA formally referred the case to DEQ for enforcement in October 2025.

DEQ’s Air Quality program plans to renew Valley Landfill’s air permit this spring. The draft Title V permit has more stringent requirements that are reflected in the enforcement action and there will be an opportunity for the public to comment during the permit renewal process.

For more information about DEQ’s regulation of the landfill visit our Coffin Butte Landfill web page.