ODOE Team Tours New Radiation Detection Portal System at Gilliam County Landfill

In late July, Director Janine Benner and some members of the ODOE Team toured two landfills owned by Waste Management in Gilliam County, south of the town of Arlington. The Columbia Ridge municipal solid waste landfill accepts waste from across the northwest, including most garbage from the Portland Metro region and the city of Seattle.

The Chemical Waste Management of the Northwest hazardous waste landfill, which is adjacent to but separate from the Columbia Ridge facility, safely handles and disposes of chemically hazardous waste from not only the northwest, but sometimes from around the world.

In 2021, the Chemical Waste Management facility installed a radiation detection portal system, which screens all incoming hazardous waste loads to check for potential radiation. The detection system helps the company verify and maintain compliance with Oregon’s statutes and rules regarding disposal of radioactive material.

In addition to safe management of garbage and hazardous waste, the facilities are becoming a regional energy hub – the Columbia Ridge facility captures landfill gas to generate electricity that powers the facility and is sent to the power grid. Waste Management has leased land surrounding the landfills for wind and solar power development, and is in the process of investigating the potential to produce renewable natural gas that can be directly put into the existing natural gas pipeline system.

Learn more about ODOE’s work around radioactive materials disposal and transport on our website.