Washington bill would fine noncompliant landfills; Waste Connections faces lawsuit
This story was originally published on Waste Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Waste Dive newsletter.
A Washington bill that could add a new level of approval to landfill permits and give local authorities the ability to enforce fines for noncompliance has reached the governor's desk. If approved, it would increase scrutiny of facilities that community groups say is overdue.
The bill would apply to any permits issued after Aug. 1, 2027, and would require the Department of Ecology to give the final approval of any landfill permit. The department would have the ability to deny or require amendments to such permits, which a local health department could opt to appeal.
Either the Department of Ecology or local health departments could also issue a daily fine up to $5,000 for the first two weeks a landfill is in non-compliance with its permit, which can increase to up to $10,000 per day after that time period.
Finally, the bill would require local health departments to submit lists of landfill violations to the Department of Ecology every five years, beginning in 2026.
The state legislature sent HB 1154 to Gov. Bob Ferguson on April 23. The governor has 20 days after that date to sign the bill into law. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
HB 1154 earned support from legislators amid ongoing landfill issues, including two fires in Yakima County.
The bill has been supported by groups like Friends of Rocky Top, a community organization that has criticized management of the Anderson Landfill in Yakima that was acquired by DTG Recycle in 2019. The company, itself bought by Macquarie Asset Management in 2022, had to close the facility for more than a year and reopened it in December. Macquarie did not respond to a request for comment.
Scott Cave, a lobbyist who works with Friends of Rocky Top and supports the bill, said the existing system to regulate landfills doesn't work. Local health departments are typically tasked with approving permits and enforcing compliance, but they lack the resources to do so effectively, he said.
'There was no tool in the tool shed for local governments to say, 'Hey, bring this into compliance,'" Cave said. He said the bill, if signed, could change that.
A lawsuit seeking to halt expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill in Pennsylvania can proceed, Northampton County Judge Abraham Kassis ruled on April 16. The ruling dismisses several motions to dismiss charges brought by Bethlehem Landfill Co., a subsidiary of Waste Connections.
The lawsuit was brought against the company by a residents group and is supported by Bethlehem Township and a local hospital campus. Lower Saucon Township, which approved a zoning change to remove a conservation easement and allow the expansion, is also a defendant.
The expansion plan would involve 86 acres of new disposal area, Lehigh Valley News reported. In order to facilitate that expansion, the township voted to remove conservation easements across more than 200 acres of forested area on the landfill's northeastern border.
That action drew objections from nearby residents, leading to the lawsuit. Waste Connections must now respond to the merits of the lawsuit following the judge's ruling.
The landfill has paid more than $2 million in host fee payments and funds 25% of the Lower Saucon Township budget, according to a company website.
A local planning commission recommended Cumberland County, Virginia, deny plans for a new landfill serving the central and southwestern portions of the state. The facility proposed by an affiliate of GFL Environmental, would accept up to 1,500 tons per day of MSW, C&D waste and certain industrial wastes, but threatens a historic school, according to community groups. (WRIC)
Meanwhile, Hanover County, Virginia's board of supervisors approved the expansion of the Ashcake Road Landfill. The landfill is owned by Leadbetter, and would add about 30 acres of construction waste disposal. (WRIC)
A class action lawsuit filed by three residents of Tontitown, Arkansas, alleges that WM's Eco-Vista Landfill has harmed the plaintiffs' daily lives and property values with 'noxious orders.' A lawyer for the residents said they were unsuccessful in seeking relief through government channels. (5 News)
Casella has filed a lawsuit against the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for denying a permit for the proposed Dalton Landfill project. The case centers around the regulator allegedly closing the application because it was incomplete. (Concord Monitor)
Recommended Reading
Republic to up landfill odor measures in California; Seneca Meadows expansion debate
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
BTS Bioenergy charts new path, scraps California digester project
This story was originally published on Waste Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Waste Dive newsletter. Bioenergy Devco, now known as BTS Bioenergy, made few announcements in the months leading up to its May 27 rebrand. CEO Nick Thomas, who has spent much of the past year retooling the company's strategy, said he hopes that will change moving forward. "When you lose your way, and you're not delivering, things do go quiet," Thomas, who joined the company in May 2024, said in an interview. "We've managed to have some success here, but everything we're doing right now is orienting towards execution." BTS Bioenergy's European division has a long history. Founded in 1996, it has built more than 250 plants and secured dozens of patents. The company came to North America in 2019 and leveraged its expertise to build the Maryland Bioenergy Center, which opened in 2021. But years later, that facility remains BTS' only completed American digester project. Anaerobic digestion has grown more slowly than developers hoped in the U.S. over the last several years, particularly among facilities that process food waste. Other digestion companies have set bold expansion goals in recent years and struggled to meet them, prompting multiple leadership changes. Bioenergy Devco itself received a more than $100 million commitment from Irradiant Partners in 2021 to build out a network of facilities, but little has come of that partnership. In 2021, amid broad industry questions about the financial viability of anaerobic digestion technology, Bioenergy Devco founder Shawn Kreloff told Waste Dive that "the strongest [companies] have survived." Last year, he stepped away as CEO to take a role on the company's board. His replacement, Thomas, said BTS has room for improvement, and he's brought in fresh leadership to assist with that growth. He joined the company from Meritage Midstream Services II, a Wyoming natural gas provider. In the following months, Thomas brought in other executives from Meritage and new CFO Jason Meek, who joined BTS from anaerobic digestion company PurposeEnergy. Over the past year, Thomas said he's been learning about the anaerobic digestion industry and process, which produces methane and meshes with his experience in the natural gas sector. Thomas is also reorienting BTS toward prospects that make the most economical sense for the company. That includes adding anaerobic digestion capacity to a composting facility in Delaware, which processes waste from the chicken industry. The company is hoping to break ground on that expansion next year. BTS is also in the advanced planning stages for a facility in Gainesville, Georgia, which the company anticipates breaking ground on later this year. Notably, the company's strategic focus does not include a proposed project in Long Beach, California. Last year, the City of Long Beach agreed to enter exclusive negotiations with Bioenergy Devco to build an organics recycling facility on the site of a decommissioned mass burn combustion facility run by Covanta, now Reworld. Thomas said BTS couldn't find a way to make the planned anaerobic digestion facility at the site generate sufficient revenue, and it agreed to part ways with the city earlier this year. Long Beach officials declined to comment on the matter, but in March they acknowledged that plans for the site were shifting due to market conditions. Thomas said he's also been focused on maximizing the potential of the Maryland Bioenergy Center. The facility is capable of processing up to 125,000 metric tons of organic waste, which primarily comes from the food industry. Around the time Thomas joined Bioenergy Devco, the company announced the Maryland facility had reached nameplate capacity. But a problem quickly arose: The county flagged deficiencies in the company's wastewater pretreatment system, which was releasing high levels of substances such as ammonia, nitrogen and total phosphorus. Last fall, the company scaled back the facility's throughput while it identified and installed new technology to reduce wastewater contamination. Thomas said the facility is now scaling back up. The Howard County Department of Public Works confirmed in a statement that BTS 'has made significant progress in upgrading their treatment systems.' In addition to upgrading equipment at the site, BTS Bioenergy is also working to increase revenue from the Maryland Bioenergy Center. Thomas said the tipping fees BTS can charge there have doubled over the past year, and he expects they'll continue to increase. The facility likely won't run at maximum capacity in the near future, Thomas said, and it has yet to reach its revenue ceiling due to high demand for organics processing capacity. The facility may also increase the proportion of its capacity locked up in longer-term feedstock contracts as operations stabilize, Thomas said. 'We're working a combination of both short- and long-term contracts, and that's great because it gives us the flexibility to optimize feedstocks and profitability,' Thomas said. 'Once we get a better view of that combination, we'll work towards putting longer term contracts around those key and critical feedstocks.' Bioenergy Devco received a $30 million investment from Maryland-based Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital in 2023, which Thomas said mainly went to improving the Maryland facility. BTS is looking to fundraise 'pretty quickly' to fuel new projects moving forward, he said. In addition, the company is open to other forms of internal growth mechanisms or acquisitions, depending on what's available in the market, according to Thomas. He still believes BTS can be a 'class leader' in the organics processing industry. 'There are a lot of people who are passionate about doing this kind of work,' Thomas said. 'I'm not sure there's anyone who's really rose to the top. We want to be that.' Recommended Reading Bioenergy Devco, growing anaerobic digestion company, names new CEO Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
State's first hybrid-electric ferry out of shipyard, nearing return to service
Vigor Shipyard delivered the state's first hybrid-electric ferry to Washington State Ferries on Monday, moving the effort to add the first lower-emissions vessel to the fleet a step closer. The Wenatchee ferry, which has been at Vigor's Seattle shipyard being retro-fitted for nearly the past two years, is now at WSF's maintenance facility on Bainbridge Island. It will next undergo sea trials, and is scheduled to return to service this summer on the Bainbridge-Seattle run. According to an announcement from Vigor, the 202-car Wenatchee is the largest ferry in the United States to be converted to run on electric power. Two diesel generators were removed from the Wenatchee as part of the project, which then added two battery rooms that house 864 battery modules. New propulsion controls were added, as well as new electric and fiber optic cable around the vessel, according to Vigor. The Wenatchee will now be stationed at Eagle Harbor for final work to prepare the ferry for service, including crew training and Coast Guard certification. Two other ferries of the same class, known as Jumbo Mark II, had been slated to follow the Wenatchee into conversion immediately, part of a state effort to shift the fleet away from diesel power by 2050. Vigor won the bid for those three boats at a cost of $150 million, and the Wenatchee was initially anticipated to be delivered for service in 2024. In March the state announced that those two boats, the Tacoma and the Puyallup, will not be converted until after the 2026 World Cup, when many tourists are anticipated to arrive for the soccer games hosted in Seattle. That directive from Gov. Bob Ferguson led to the announcement that the ferry system will restore several routes, including Bremerton-Seattle, to full service in June. The electrification plan also calls for the building of 16 new hybrid-electric ferries in coming decades, and bids for construction of five, 160-car boats were opened in May. WSF is currently evaluating proposals from two bidders, Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Florida and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island. This week WSF also issued an update on a related project, which will install new electric charging systems at ferry terminals around Puget Sound in anticipation of a hybrid-electric fleet. The agency said Monday that an announcement to award a contract is expected soon, and in-water exploration at two sites, Bainbridge Island and Seattle, will begin in June. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Washington state's first hybrid-electric ferry conversion complete
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
Hood River-White Salmon Bridge project secures Washington funds, eyes $105M from Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge replacement project is seeing progress after Washington approved additional funding to replace the 100-year-old bridge, with eyes on Oregon to match funds. In a late May press release, the lauded Washington state lawmakers who committed another $50 million to the project, which was signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson on May 21. The $50 million from the Evergreen State adds to the state's previous commitment of $75 million in 2023 for a total of $125 million dedicated to building a safer bridge. 'Something was not right': Oregon Coast safari park received complaints for nearly a decade 'We deeply appreciate the strong backing from lawmakers in Olympia, especially Senator Curtis King, whose long-standing commitment to this project has been instrumental,' said HRWSBA Co-Chair Jacob Anderson. 'We're also thankful for the leadership and advocacy of Senator Paul Harris, Representative David Stuebe, and Representative Kevin Waters, and statewide leaders on transportation policy like Senator Marko Liias, Representative Jake Fey, and Representative Andrew Barkis.' 'This funding shows that Washington is stepping up for this critical bi-state connection and the communities that rely on it,' continued Anderson. 'With Oregon matching that commitment, both states can send a unified message to federal partners: this project is a priority, and we're ready to deliver.' As Washington's legislative session has come to an end, the authority is now eyeing Oregon House Bill 2184, which would allocate $105 million to the project and would help the state match Washington's financial commitments. CC Slaughters, one of Portland's oldest LGBTQ+ bars, to close for good in August Led by Oregon Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) and Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River), the bill passed the Joint Committee on Transportation in April and is now being considered in the Ways and Means Committee. In the meantime, the bridge authority is urging Oregon lawmakers to pass the funding. 'We truly appreciate the great support from Senator Bonham and Representative Helfrich, and applaud the Transportation Committee for their support, especially committee co-chairs Representative Susan McLain and Senator Chris Gorsek,' said Mike Fox, HRWSBA co-chair. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Time is of the essence,' continued Fox. 'Construction costs are rising and demands on our transportation system are growing. Our local communities and broader region rely on this crossing every day. The new Hood River-White Salmon Bridge will only get built on time and within budget with all partners contributing their share.' During an April 1 Joint Committee on Transportation hearing in the Oregon legislature, Rep. Helfrich described the bill as a 'critical lifeline for our bi-state communities.' The state representative also highlighted his previous service as a police officer for 25 years, explaining that a new bridge would be a 'vital link' in emergencies such as wildfires or earthquakes or other life-and-death situations. Candlelight vigil marks 15th anniversary of Kyron Horman's disappearance 'The time to act and build this new bridge is now,' Helfrich urged the committee, noting further federal funds for the project hinges on Oregon committing the funds to the project. In written testimony, submitted to the transportation committee, HRWSBA Co-chair Fox detailed the need for a new bridge, telling committee members, 'Most of you have crossed the old bridge yourselves—perhaps gripping the wheel a little tighter as a semi passes just inches away in the opposite lane. You've seen firsthand the condition of the bridge, which was built in 1924 for cattle and Model Ts—not for the demands of today's traffic, commerce, or safety standards.' 'The current bridge is too narrow, with no shoulders or space for emergency vehicles, let alone bikes and pedestrians. At just 9½ feet per lane, trucks routinely straddle the centerline. It's weight-restricted, unable to handle modern freight, and poses growing safety and mobility risks. We've long known it wasn't built to withstand a major earthquake—but recent geotechnical surveys revealed that many of its foundations aren't even anchored to bedrock. Instead, they rest in compacted gravel now known to be vulnerable to liquefaction. Out of a score of 100, ODOT's sufficiency rating for this bridge is a 7,' Fox stated. According to the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Replacement Project website, the new bridge design aims to address concerns over river navigation for vessels, while improving vehicle, pedestrian, bike and transit access. The design features a 12-foot lane in each direction with eight-foot shoulders, a 12-foot walking and biking path, more space for barges, earthquake safety improvements and improvements to eliminate direct runoff from vehicles from entering the Columbia River. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
