Salem's trash will go to a landfill starting at the end of the year as the Brooks incinerator, which has long disposed of Marion County's trash, closes.
However, the long-term future of waste disposal in the area is uncertain as the Coffin Butte landfill is nearing capacity and Apple Tree Holdings, an Oregon company that provides waste and recycling services, has proposed a new transfer station outside of Rickreall.
Reworld Marion Inc., formerly known as Covanta, will close the incinerator at 4850 Brooklake Road NE on Dec. 31. The New Jersey-based company notified Marion County in October.
The plant currently burns large amounts of waste from homes and businesses in Marion County to generate electricity. Medical and industrial waste from across the region is also incinerated.
A Reworld spokeswoman declined to say what led to the closure or whether it was related to stricter emissions monitoring laws championed by Oregon Sen. Deb Patterson that took effect in September 2023.
“Reworld is turning to new business opportunities as part of its service expansion efforts in North America,” spokeswoman Nicolle Robles said in an email.
Marion County spokesman Jon Heynen said that after the closure, the county will send waste to the Marion Resource Recovery Facility, a recycling center at 3690 Brooklake Road NE. They would then be taken to the Coffin Butte landfill outside of Corvallis.
He said the county's Solid Waste Management Advisory Board could consider possible options for future waste management.
He said there will be no impact on fees residents pay for trash disposal.
“We are having thoughtful conversations with local partners about the future of solid waste in Marion County,” Heynen said in an email. “We want to provide residents with the greatest possible benefit for services.”
Next Steps
The closure has sparked a broader discussion about how the region should deal with its trash, as Coffin Butte is expected to run out of space in the coming years.
A panel discussion Saturday will discuss the future of waste disposal at the Salem Public Library.
Speakers include Patterson and Julianah Douglas, Climate Action Plan Manager for the City of Salem.
The discussion will include topics on the impacts of incinerators and landfills, pollution legislation and monitoring, innovative waste management policies and the closure of Reworld Marion.
The event, hosted by the Clean Air Now Coalition and others, will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the downtown library in Loucks Auditorium, 535 Liberty Street. It is free and open to the public.
Closure of the incinerator
Plans for the incineration site after it closes are unclear.
The notice sent to Marion County read in full: “Reworld will discontinue waste services at the Reworld Marion Thermomechanical Treatment Facility on December 31, 2024 as it pursues new business opportunities as part of its service expansion efforts in North America.”
Robles, the Reworld spokeswoman, told Salem Reporter that the plant will be decommissioned, but the next steps for the site are up to Marion County. Heynen, the district spokesman, said these steps were up to Reworld because they owned the property.
Reworld Marion has already been cited for failing to comply with state emissions regulations.
The incinerator has been fined several times for exceeding emissions limits, most recently in June 2024, and paid the most recent fine of $22,800 in early September, said Dylan Darling, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Quality.
DEQ records showed the waste incinerator exceeded allowable emissions of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide or particulate matter several times between 2022 and 2024. Sulfur dioxide is a pollutant that can cause acid rain.
Patterson said she was confused about the facility's closure.
The facility's manager, Steve Nipp, was scheduled to speak about the facility at the Rotary Club of Salem on Nov. 20, but Patterson canceled before the interview.
“The only piece I've played is just to find out what's coming out of the chimney. Previously, the exam only took place once a year. The company was able to hire its own testing company and schedule the tests, so that doesn't necessarily give the most accurate data about what's coming out of the chimney the rest of the year. ” she said.
Melissa Quillard, senior manager and spokeswoman for Republic Services, the solid waste collection company that operates the Coffin Butte landfill, said the landfill has not yet been contacted about accepting waste that is currently going to the incinerator.
There is currently a proposed expansion for the Coffin Butte Landfill.
“While the expansion of the landfill is critical to addressing the community’s long-term waste disposal needs, we have sufficient capacity to serve our customers and remain focused on operating the landfill safely and responsibly,” Quillard said.
A new waste transfer station is also in the works, according to Nic Dahl of Appletree Holdings, LLC, who addressed the city council during a recent city council meeting.
Apple Tree Holdings sent Polk County an unsolicited proposal to build the new transfer station in Rickreall, scheduled to begin operations in 2027.
According to a staff report from the city's chief financial officer, Josh Eggleston, there are currently no solid waste transfer stations in Polk County and all waste from the county is transported elsewhere.
Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.
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Joe Siess is a reporter for Salem Reporter. Joe joined Salem Reporter in 2024 and primarily covers city and county government, but loves surprises. Joe previously reported for the Redmond Spokesman, the Bulletin in Bend, the Klamath Falls Herald and News and the Malheur Enterprise. He was born in Independence, MO, where the Oregon Trail officially begins, and grew up in the Kansas City area.