And it is winter, how much worse will it get in the summer?

This is just the beginning.
Will the Multnomah County Health Department do anything next summer? I envision a myriad of problems. . .
I doubt that we can count on Jeff Cogen to do much, as he should have not allowed this in the first place.
Does he even care about the health of the community?
Again, he is one who comes from the arena of the insiders, right out of Saltzman's office. This lock step we have here is mind boggling.

North Plains hasn't realized yet that they've been designated by the PorPlanBuro as The People's Waste Recycling Center and that they should be proud to serve the motherland.

Stand by, Tualatin and West Linn -- you're next.

North Plains is in Washington County; not Cogen's problem. And since the WashCo commissioners don't live in North Plains, residents there are just going to have to learn to put up with it. I believe they just voted to allow the company to incorporate food waste processing permanently into its business plan.

Siting things like this under people's noses could be a brilliant maneuver to drive people out and drive down property values, then... voilá! ...developer buys properties for a song and it's announced facility will be moved.

In the immortal words of Gomer Pyle: "Thurprise, Thurprise, Thurprise!"

North Plains may not be Cogen's problem, but come this summer, Multnomah County will be. Do these people not think ahead?

I have become so cynical that I wonder if this is all a ploy so that the chatter of so many in our city of wanting to get out of here will have less options, as the surrounding areas will also be "stenchy?"
... in other words there is no getting away from Stenchy!!

Despite opposition from neighbors and a staff recommendation of denial, a Clackamas County land use hearings officer approved a new compost and land mine site in Stafford.
S&H Logging — a landscaping supply and recycling company that lies between Lake Oswego, Tualatin and West Linn — plans to build a composting facility and land mining operation on 25 acres at 3036 S.W. Borland Road. At an Oct. 6 public hearing, neighboring residents and businesses expressed concern about the facility and its impacts to the community.

......In the county report, hearings officer Ken Helm acknowledged neighbors’ concerns about noise, smell, traffic and dust.

So he acknowledged but allowed it anyway.

How about all the lavender farms in those areas? A great business we have here in Oregon, how nice to have to pinch one's nose now to get there! Whats the point??
We need to have the decision makers of this "brilliant plan" be made to live right by it!! Of course those who "really" benefit by all of this may even be living out of state for all we know.

Mr Grumpy, your "drive down property values" scenario may be playing out in SoWhat, besides the cities of Tualatin and West Linn that Jack posted.

The BioMass Incinerator compost pile proposed to run the Eco/Energy District in SoWhat will smell just as bad, besides the dust, truck noise and all. Then there are rumors that Sam wants to include some of Portland's new food garbage in the mix. It could be some interesting times emanating from SoWhat.

It only makes sense that SoWhat gets a BioMass facility since it has now been 13 years since SoWhat URA was founded. It is time to start over. Let's lower property taxes so that taxpayers can pay to extend the URA for another 25 years plus add another $300 Million in TIF dollars alone besides all the federal, state and other tax dollars dumped into SoWhat.

I believe they just voted to allow the company to incorporate food waste processing permanently into its business plan.

Nah, just approved another year for the "demonstration project".

I think it has already demonstrated that sh*t stinks.

Every time I suggest the city get rid of zoning laws I am told how awful it'll be because someone could put a dump right next door or some other unwanted facility.

So many people and so little time to con them all.

Animals, vegetables, and minerals,
world is composed of those three things.
SoWhat is the BioMass going to burn?

Crematorium?
...in SoWhat?

Lee,
I read this morning about devastation and poverty in Curry County and other ones as well to follow!!!

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/12/in_curry_county_oregons_financ.htm

Curry's not alone, just the first. Coos, Josephine, Klamath and Lane counties -- all deeply dependent on federally owned natural resource land -- are bunched up to follow Curry off the cliff

...Finally, the state has no money to cover county losses. Sorry.

Sorry? Have these people pushing the URA's and light rails here no shame?
The state is giving money to light rail instead of assisting places where children are not getting adequate care and food. Schools throughout our state hurt as a result of all our Portland URA's..."a jolly Christmas to all from the pushers of the plans in Portland!"

Come on, North Plains is home to the elephant garlic festival. The motto is: IT'S CHIC TO REEK.

>I believe they just voted to allow the company to incorporate food waste processing permanently into its business plan.

Nah, just approved another year for the "demonstration project".

cc, thanks for the correction. I last read about the stink over the issue a couple of weeks ago, and from that article, it appeared that WashCo commissioners were poised to approve the permanent option.

Clinamen: I read about the Curry County issue a few days ago; it's worth noting that these counties derived a substantial portion of their budgets from timber harvesting, milling, etc. As environmentalists convinced state and federal governments that such activities had to be halted in order to Save The Planet™, the revenue stream was cut off. And the influx of retirees from CA has been insufficient to make up the difference.

re: West Linn you're next:
The SW Borland Road location is across the street from primary and middle schools, and the Wanker's Corner Tavern! Of course there is a history of waste disposal in the general area. 60 years ago the Rossman family ran the local dump, near Stafford Road, which was eventually closed down and houses were built on the fill.
What goes around comes around I guess.

If more people actually read the Portland Climate Action Plan before deciding to move here or buy a home here, Portland would probably shrink down to a small percentage of hard-core believers interspersed with pockets of the homeless, the desperate, and the disgruntled.

After 25 years of home ownership in Portland and soon to move, I don't plan on investing in another home here anytime soon.

http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=49989&a=268612

As we know, environmental concerns should and must trump all others. We should all be as green (or blue, depending on how long it's been in the can).

As for public health concerns, you can be assured and reassured that every effort of your government will be directed toward making certain that every strain of cholera, typhus, jaundice, ebola, e.coli, food poisoning or other bacterial or viral maladies you or your loved ones may contract have been thoroughly vetted and have met the strictest government-imposed standards for eco-friendliness, purity and sustainability.

When I saw the pictures of the rows of compost at the North Plains facility I was surprised. The Cedar Grove facility in Washington has most, if not all of the rows covered with a goretex-like membrane, and I think the rows are below surface grade. Kind of like compost irrigation canals. Given the design at North Plains, it's no wonder the neighbors get the stench.