King County Council approves expansion of county landfill for up to another 20 years

The King County Council voted Wednesday to approve the expansion of Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, the county's only active landfill, to allow operations to continue for up to another 20 years.

The measure, which is part of the 2019 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, passed with a 5-2 vote. Two members were not present.

Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who voted against the expansion, released a statement:

"We are long overdue for a long-term plan for how King County will responsibly manage its trash. The County has said many times in the past decades that the landfill was getting full and would close soon. I want to hold them to that. It's time for a more equitable and environmentally responsible option that protects the health of our communities. The residents of King County deserve better than this."

More than 800,000 tons of waste is dumped at the landfill every year, according to King County, that said the landfill is already the size of nearly 700 football fields.

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