Expansion Of Cedar Hills Landfill Near Renton On The Table

RENTON, WA - At a special King County Council meeting in Renton on Wednesday, the Council held a public hearing on the possibility of expanding the size of the 920-acre Cedar Hills regional landfill, which is close to running out of space.

The Cedar Hills expansion is recommended in the 2019 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, which was passed to the Council last year. The plan calls for boosting the height of Cedar Hills to 830 feet from 800 feet. With no expansion, the landfill will run out of space by 2028.

Expanding the landfill would be the cheapest option, and the best for greenhouse gas emissions, the plan says. But residents who live near Cedar Hills say they are tired of being the county's dumping ground.

King County Solid Waste Division Director Pat McLaughlin told the Council that King County has limited options. Exporting waste outside of King County would cost about $55 per ton compared to $41 per ton at Cedar Hills. Building a waste-to-energy facility would take a long time, cost a lot of money, and release the most greenhouse gas than the landfill.

For the Cedar Hills expansion to move forward, the county would have to apply for permits from the state and King County Public Health, a process that will likely take months once underway.

Cedar Hills is located along 228th Avenue Southeast in unincorporated King County, roughly between Renton and Issaquah.