By Joe Berney
You may have heard about the recent controversy surrounding a facility that will recycle over 80,000 tons of materials annually, convert methane into clean energy, inject over $150 million into Lane County’s economy, create good construction and long-term local jobs and save the county over $300 million. (Eugene Weekly, “Trashy Talk,” 8/22 online).
So, why the fuss? Simple. It’s the politics of greed and power.
Before serving as Springfield’s county commissioner from 2019 through 2022, I owned a business that developed and financed large commercial and industrial clean air and clean energy retrofits. In that role, I saw multiple Bulk Handling Systems facilities in California, where our biggest market was. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this leader in recycling equipment was headquartered right here in Lane County.
Later, as county commissioner, I joined a contingent that included representatives from Sanipac, Rexius, BRING Recycling, Bulk Handling Systems, and the city of Springfield. We toured Bulk Handling facilities in the Bay Area. All of us came away quite impressed and discussed how great it would be to have a facility like that here in Lane County.
Several years of due diligence and intense scrutiny followed, culminating in an agreement that includes Bulk Handling securing and bringing more than $150 million (more than $100 million of which is private investment) into the county, all without increasing county taxes. This investment will create good-paying local jobs with Bulk Handling, Farwest Steel and Chambers Construction, all locally owned and operated companies, with two of the three headquartered in Springfield.
This project was on track to move forward when I left the Board of Commissioners at the end of 2022. And this is where the politically motivated bullshit began.
The person who became Springfield’s next commissioner, David Loveall, had one major item on his agenda: to dismantle everything initiated by the board during my term that had successfully created a sea change for Lane County.
This included a Community Benefits Agreement, which ensured that county projects prioritized contracts to locally owned businesses. It prioritized hiring local residents, ensuring that workers received living wages, comprehensive training through approved apprenticeship programs, full family health insurance and retirement contributions. It also tangibly supported diversity in those local businesses and apprenticeships.
The two new commissioners on the board did everything they could to kill this program, but they couldn’t. Workers stood up to them at a June 4 board meeting in a massive show of support for the CBA.
Similarly, the two new commissioners have done everything they could to kill the CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility, but logic and evidence — and a commitment to the county’s Climate Initiative — prevailed. On August 20, the board took a final vote committing to moving forward on what will be a pragmatic, cutting-edge recycling and organics-to-clean energy center right here in Lane County.
Voters also ought to understand the role and interests of the political operatives behind the efforts to undermine this progressive venture. The article on EugeneWeekly.com quoted Jake Pelroy as the spokesperson for the opposition. What the article did not mention is that Pelroy is paid to be the right’s local hatchet man.
Pelroy made money managing conservative ex-Commissioner Jay Bozievich’s campaigns, as well as those of Sid Leiken and current Commissioners Loveall and Ryan Ceniga. And surprise! He’s the guy making money to create and manage the campaign of this new group — the Lane County Garbage and Recycling Association — established for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill this wonderful opportunity for our community.
By the way, for over 30 years I’ve been a satisfied Sanipac residential customer. Five days before the final vote on CleanLane facility, Sanipac (part of the multi-billion dollar corporation Waste Connections, headquartered in Texas) emailed a letter to me and, I presume, other Lane County customers, urging recipients to tell county commissioners to not support this recycling and clean energy facility. I find it offensive that a company is asking ratepayers to essentially pay for a corporate lobbying effort against something the local residents have said they want.
CleanLane is more than just a recycling facility — it’s a crucial investment in Lane County’s future. By committing to this project now, we’re not only creating local jobs and protecting our environment against preventable emissions, we’re also avoiding larger costs for future generations. Despite political challenges, this decision shows what we can achieve when we prioritize long-term benefits over short-term gains. Let’s seize this opportunity to build something that will serve our community for years to come, ensuring a lasting and positive legacy for Lane County.