Metro is responsible for management of the greater Portland area’s garbage and recycling system in a manner that protects the environment, protects the public’s health, and gets good value for the public’s money. Part of Metro’s responsibilities include the disposal of garbage after recycling and waste recovery efforts are undertaken.
Currently, about 90 percent of greater Portland's garbage ends up in one of two landfills owned by Waste Management, under an agreement that has been in place for more than 25 years. That agreement expires at the end of 2019.
In October 2017, Metro issued a request for proposals for a new landfill contract to dispose of garbage that is received through Metro Central and Metro South transfer stations, which together handle more than 500,000 tons of garbage per year.
Four landfills were prequalified for the disposal procurement through a Request for Qualifications issued in June 2017 and were the only landfills eligible to submit formal proposals for Metro’s consideration:
- Columbia Ridge Landfill near Arlington, Ore., owned by Waste Management
- Finley Buttes Landfill near Boardman, Ore., owned by Waste Connections
- Roosevelt Regional Landfill near Roosevelt, Wash., owned by Republic Services
- Wasco County Landfill near The Dalles, Ore., owned by Waste Connections
In addition to a request for proposals for landfill disposal of waste, Metro issued a separate request for proposals for transportation contracts to deliver waste from Metro Central and Metro South transfer stations to the selected landfill.
On Nov. 13, 2018, Metro announced that starting Jan. 1, 2020, and for a period of at least 10 years, garbage from Metro Central and Metro South transfer stations will be disposed at Columbia Ridge Landfill and transported there via Walsh Trucking.