Environmental Protection

Safeguarding Yamhill County's Unique Environment

Our operations at Riverbend – the award-winning wastewater (leachate) treatment program, our wetlands enhancements and wildlife habitat certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, and our green energy plant powering 2,500 McMinnville homes with electricity generated from landfill gas – all offer evidence of the priority we place on safeguarding our environment.

Learn more about Riverbend’s environmental protection programs by exploring our commitments to clean air, clean water, groundwater protection and wildlife habitat. And examine up close how our landfill liners ensure safe containment of waste disposed of at Riverbend.

One of Riverbend's most innovative programs involves using landfill wastewater (leachate) to grow a non-food crop as part of a natural and award-winning environmental management system. The 45-acre poplar grove draws hundreds of visitors a year, including college students and scientists from around the world. A drip irrigation system delivers wastewater directly to the tree roots during the summer months, when the trees are especially thirsty. Riverbend harvests and replants a few acres of the fast-growing trees every year. The wood fiber is used to make pulp and paper.

WM-Riverbend Landfill Overview