Valley Landfills Inc., a Republic Services subsidiary, faces the largest civil penalty in Oregon DEQ history following a multi-year investigation conducted in coordination with the US EPA.
The DEQ alleged that the Coffin Butte Landfill operator committed multiple air quality violations, failing to comply with federal and state laws regarding the monitor, capture and control of gas emissions.
“This order addresses violations of state and federal laws that are intended to mitigate these risks to human health and the environment,” said Erin Saylor, DEQ office of compliance and enforcement manager, noting that landfill gas contains hazardous air pollutants and odors with potential public health impacts.
Valley Landfills must pay a total civil penalty of $3.01 million. The bulk of that figure, or $2,265,527, represents the financial advantage the operator gained through the lack of regulatory obligations. The ruling essentially states the company avoided significant capital and operational expenditures it was required to make, and the penalty is structured to disgorge those savings so that non-compliance doesn’t pay.
The avoided costs include surface emissions monitoring, installation of additional gas collection wells in response to high emission levels, adequate and consistent operation of landfill gas controls, preparation of an amended design plan and ongoing cover maintenance and repair.
In addition to the hefty civil fine, Valley Landfills must implement corrective actions to mitigate landfill gas. The DEQ noted it would consider reducing the civil penalty if compliance is achieved.
The DEQ sent an initial pre-enforcement notice about the air quality concerns on Nov. 6, 2025. The action follows a multi-year investigation, with the EPA formally handing the case to the agency for enforcement in October 2025.
Valley Landfills has 20 days from the date of the notice’s issuance to file an appeal. If an appeal is filed, this could pause corrective action of deadlines until a final ruling is achieved, according to the DEQ.
