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Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends,
It’s the middle of October (already!), and so far we have enjoyed a mostly sunny fall in the Willamette Valley. This is one of my favorite times of the year - the air turns crisp, the leaves burst into color across the hills, and I can pull out my cozy sweaters and wool socks. I hope you’ve had a chance to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! If you haven't yet, there are some fun events at the bottom of the newsletter!
There’s a lot happening in the world right now. It is so important to step away from the news and touch grass, or read a book, or laugh with friends. Remember, joy is a fabulous form of resistance.
Today, and last weekend, and this summer, we have fought together to resist attacks on our freedoms, our democracy, on our way of life. Our freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to assemble. There is so much to fight against and so much to stand up for. I am proud of Oregon leading the nation and saying NO. We must keep saying NO for ourselves and for those who cannot fight back.
And if you get the chance—go jump in a pile of leaves before the rain starts.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
– Thomas Paine
ANYTHING LESS JUST WOULDN'T DO
There's a lot to say about the ongoing efforts of Republic Services to expand the landfill. My guess is that if you're reading this newsletter, you've probably noticed an uptick in their lobbying efforts.
Senator Gelser Blouin and I submitted written testimony to the Benton County Commissioners, urging them to reject the proposed expansion. The letter, in its entirety, is copied below.
Dear Commissioners Wyse, Malone and Shepherd:
We write today to express our opposition to the expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill.
Over the last several years, we’ve listened to constituents voice deep concern about the impact Coffin Butte has on the health, safety, livability and environmental integrity of the area surrounding landfill. It is clear to us that residents in the vicinity of the landfill are nearly unanimous in their opposition of expansion.
It is not surprising to hear such concerns from the people who live in closest proximity to the landfill. For that reason, and because of the regional significance of the landfill, we’ve both listened carefully and been cautious about taking a public position on this application. However, everything we’ve learned combined with a well-financed effort to solicit input from elected officials outside our area led us to reconsider. We’ve both come to the conclusion that we must speak up for our constituents and publicly express our opposition to this application. Expanding Coffin Butte is not just an economic issue. It is an environmental, health, and livability issue and at best a short-term fix to handling solid waste in our region.
Regional concerns and local sacrifices
We appreciate the legitimate interest of businesses and local governments outside of Benton County in the disposition of this application. Solid waste management is a thorny issue, and one that requires focused attention from leaders and community members across the state. Coffin Butte has become the safety net for waste disposal for other communities. In fact, recent closure and diminished operations of other Oregon landfills and incinerators has nearly doubled the amount of waste hauled to Coffin Butte each year. The relief this provides to other jurisdictions and their citizens allows them to put off making hard decisions about waste disposal and comes at an extraordinary expense to our constituents, their health, and their businesses. While we appreciate the challenges faced by other communities, we simply do not believe it is fair or appropriate to force our constituents to continue sacrificing their health, livelihoods and livability for the benefit of other communities.
The consequences of landfill operations in Benton County directly impact the constituents we serve alongside you- the residents of Benton County. Benton County residents should be centered in the discussion and decision making about this issue.
Cost concerns for Benton County residents
Expansion advocates argue expansion is necessary to protect our constituents from increased costs related to solid waste. We’ve also been told failure to approve an expansion will leave Benton County residents with no place to dispose of their waste without costly shipping across the state.
This is simply not true. As you know, the County has the authority to determine any rate increases for waste disposal. In addition, the current franchise agreement requires Republic to accept Benton County solid waste through 2040. Denying the expansion may require Republic to make some tough choices--- reduce hauling from other locations into Coffin Butte or take on the cost of hauling Benton County waste elsewhere. However, that burden falls to Republic Services, a company with a total net income of $2.04 billion in 2024.
Because Benton County residents are guaranteed waste disposal through 2040, there is no imminent risk of price increases or loss of disposal solutions for our constituents.
Temporary solution, permanent consequences
Advocates are presenting the expansion of Coffin Butte as a long-term solution to our region’s solid waste disposal challenges. However, with current disposal volumes, the expansion of the landfill will only extend its life by at most a few years. If the expansion is granted, it is a short-term fix that will permanently alter the landscape of Benton County and extend the impact of dust, debris, and odor caused by waste dumping and truck traffic. The enormity of this impact will not be compensated for by a few extra years of life for Coffin Butte.
Long term planning doesn’t require expansion now
We are surprised that expansion advocates are now arguing that HB 3794, legislation introduced by Representative Finger McDonald and sponsored by both of us, makes approval of the expansion application essential. The taskforce formed by HB 3794 will look at solid waste issues across our region. It anticipates the closure of Coffin Butte and the need to develop a responsible, forward looking waste management plan for our region. This is work that must be done regardless of whether the landfill is expanded. It is frustrating to see the taskforce’s work used to justify forcing the people of Benton County to continue disproportionately shouldering the burden of Oregon’s waste stream.
This isn’t what Coffin Butte neighbors signed up for
Concerns of families and businesses in the vicinity of Coffin Butte have been repeatedly dismissed by expansion advocates who argue neighbors chose to locate their homes and businesses near a landfill. However, when the history of Coffin Butte is considered, the neighbors’ concerns are clearly justified. The property started as a small, community landfill and grew in spurts until its operations increased rapidly in recent years. Coffin Butte Landfill is no longer a local landfill. It is a large regional landfill. The yearly tonnage of waste accepted by Coffin Butte increased by 86% between 2016 and 2023. Its impact on neighboring properties could not have been anticipated even just a few years ago. Many of these neighbors moved to the area decades ago.
If the landfill is expanded and the 1.1-million-ton cap on the waste Coffin Butte can accept each year is eliminated, the impacts surrounding properties already experience - overwhelming odor, persistent dust, and or the inability to graze livestock on longtime pastures due to plastics and particles that escape from the dump - will be exacerbated. The Benton County Planning Commission recognized these repercussions when they voted unanimously to reject the expansion proposal.
We’ve been told by expansion advocates that objections are only coming from a small number of angry, disgruntled, and misinformed people. Our constituents are thoughtful, concerned, and deeply knowledgeable about soil, water, and environmental science. It is disappointing to hear advocates speak about our constituents with such disrespect.
Managing waste isn’t easy, but interpreting the will of our community is (in this case)
We are both committed to long term solutions for the future of waste management in Oregon. We are also committed to continued partnership with Republic Services to deploy innovative technologies to mitigate the environmental impacts of the landfill while it accepts waste and after its closure. We know there are no easy solutions. It will take creative thinking from people across all the counties that bring waste to Coffin Butte to map out a future for a sustainable, fair, and safe strategy to manage the materials we discard. We also firmly believe that work does not require, or justify, an expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill.
Denial of the expansion will not deprive Benton County residents of a waste disposal site and does not have to increase their disposal costs. Denying the application cannot undo the harm caused to our community by the rapid growth of Coffin Butte, but it can stop more harm from occurring.
We appreciate the pressures of this situation and the complexity of the issues you must weigh in making this decision. That said, after visiting with proponents and opponents, conducting site visits, and studying the history of the landfill, we are both convinced that the harm done to our constituents by continuing to expand the landfill far outweighs any short-term benefit of its growth.
We strongly urge you to deny the application to expand the Coffin Butte Landfill.
Sincerely,
Sara Gelser Blouin Sarah Finger McDonald
State Senator State Representative
Corvallis, Adair Village, Albany, South Corvallis and Adair Village
Salem Millersburg, Tangent and
surrounding areas
If you would like to join us, you can submit testimony using this link: Submit Written Testimony for LU-24-027 (Landfill Expansion Application)
A Presidential Thanksgiving
 That's one heck of a Turkey
In a tone that must have matched a Seinfeld character, I can only imagine President Trump thinking of using hunger as a weapon against his own Americans. Governor Kotek recently announced that because of the federal shutdown, 757,000 Oregonians will not receive their food benefits in November. 340,000 of these Oregonians are children or seniors.
If the shutdown ends by the evening of October 31, ODHS can issue November benefits on time. If it continues beyond that date, benefit distribution will be delayed. This type of delay has never happened before.
For the fastest updates, SNAP participants are encouraged to sign up for a ONE Online account or download the Oregon ONE Mobile app available in the App Store and Google Play.
While we wait for more information, there are a few steps SNAP participants can take to prepare:
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Check your EBT balance. Any unused SNAP benefits will still be available after November 1, 2025.
- Know where to find emergency food. If you need immediate assistance, local food pantries and community partners can help.
- Stay current with your SNAP case. Complete renewals on time and report any changes to ODHS.
- Follow ODHS channels. Updates will be shared promptly through social media, websites, and community partners.
How to help
If you have the means to help, please consider donating to the South Corvallis Food Bank, Linn Benton Food Share, or Stone Soup. These are organizations that will be trying to fill the gaps and feed people but have also lost essential grant funding due to federal cuts.
We’re in this together. Let our office know how we can support you or your loved ones.
Deplorable
In what seems to be a never-ending game of crossing the line, ICE was recently reported surveilling a local middle school in Wilsonville.
Wilsonville’s State Representative Sue Rieke Smith shared this statement about the incident: “Earlier today, ICE agents were reportedly seen conducting surveillance near Wood’s Middle School in Wilsonville. At this time, no students or families were approached or apprehended. The school district immediately followed established protocol to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and share updates as more information becomes available,”
Living in an authoritarian police state really isn't very pleasant, and this is of course, wildly unacceptable. To help school districts have all the tools they need, I plan to introduce legislation in 2026 that will require schools to notify parents and legal guardians if ICE agents appear on school property.
Children, teachers, administrators, parents, and the general public should never have to worry about a child's safety at school, because of the federal government. Full stop. We have to demand more from each other.
Additionally...
On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court panel paused the district court’s first temporary restraining order (TRO) which prevented the Oregon National Guard from being deployed in Portland. It is unclear what the immediate effect will be because a second TRO remains in place. Regardless, this ruling is a dangerous and unprecedented interpretation of Presidential power over the states. Deploying troops to Portland, where protesters have been peaceful and federal agents have been overly aggressive, is unwanted and unnecessary.
Lawyers from Portland and the AG’s office are filing a motion for the full 9th Circuit Court to reconsider the motion. Meanwhile, the federal government asked that the 2nd, broader TRO, be dissolved. There is clearly more to come.
Meanwhile, Oregonians continue peaceful protests at the ICE facility, wearing inflatable costumes, dancing, and knitting. I am proud of the peaceful protests that show the absurdity of the aggressive response from our federal government to the exercise of our first amendment rights.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Yours truly,
 Yours truly,
Representative Sarah McDonald
House District 16
email: Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1416
address: 900 Court St NE, H-477, Salem, OR 97301
Connect with us on Facebook / Instagram
website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mcdonald
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