Deschutes County commissioners to hold public hearing Wednesday on recommended ‘Moon Pit’ site for next landfill

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County commissioners will hold a public hearing Wednesday morning on the recommended location for the county’s next landfill, the "Moon Pit' east of Bend, an aggregate mine in the eastern part of the county.

A new Solid Waste Management Facility will be needed once Knott Landfill, the county’s only landfill, reaches capacity, which is expected in 2029. The proposed site, which was recommended unanimously by the county’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee, is located in eastern Deschutes County and is currently a privately owned aggregate surface mine.

“Following a rigorous site selection process, evaluating the advantages, challenges, and costs of two potential landfill sites, ‘Moon Pit’ and ‘Roth East,’ the SWAC has unanimously recommended the Hooker Creek ‘Moon Pit’ site,” said Deschutes County Solid Waste Director Tim Brownell. “Now that we have entered the public hearing phase of the process, we are asking the public for feedback on the committee’s final recommendation.”

Over the past two years, the Department of Solid Waste has been working with a consultant team and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) to screen and evaluate potential in-county locations, using siting criteria that include environmental, land use, site characteristics and engineering considerations. This work is documented in the Deschutes County Solid Waste Management Facility Final Site Evaluation Report, which is available at: deschutes.org/managethefuture.  

Earlier this spring, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend that commissioners select and move forward with the “Moon Pit” property as the location for the county’s future Solid Waste Management Facility.

“Moon Pit” is located east of Bend on U.S. Highway 20. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee’s final evaluation included the following feedback about the proposed location:

• The “Moon Pit” site is already disturbed (it is currently being used as an aggregate surface mine)
• It is likely to have fewer new impacts to wildlife and recreation in the area
• It is closer to existing Solid Waste facilities, which means lower haul costs and greenhouse gas emissions

The public hearing is scheduled to occur during the 9 a.m. County Commission meeting at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend. Residents can attend the meeting in person or participate virtually. Participants will have three minutes to provide testimony. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.