An old landfill outside Prairie City will get necessary upgrades this year thanks to funding from DEQ’s Solid Waste Orphan Site Account.
DEQ will reimburse the eastern Oregon city up to $100,000 for improvements to the landfill, which closed in 2016. Prairie City will use the funds to reinforce the landfill’s run-down soil cover and reconstruct drainage ditches to prevent stormwater from flowing over the site and causing further erosion.
These improvements will prevent people and wildlife in the area from coming into contact with waste—and protect them from the associated health risks.
The Oregon legislature created the Solid Waste Orphan Site Account in 1989 to support projects where the responsible parties are unknown, unwilling or unable to complete necessary cleanup or maintenance. The program is funded by a 13 cent per ton fee on tipping rates for solid waste disposed in Oregon.
Eastern Region’s Matt Slafkosky, Bob Schwarz and Ron Doughten are overseeing the project. They expect the landfill to begin construction late spring or early summer.
– Laura Gleim, public affairs specialist