Company Closing 80 Acres of Rocky Top Trails in Yakima

DTG Recycle officials say they have decided to alter development plans for a limited-use landfill, or LPL, at 41 Rocky Top Road. The plan will result in the unfortunate closure of many Rocky Top trails. Officials say access to DTG’s 80 acres of land is now closed over security concerns. It’s a decision made after the company received complaints from neighbors in the area.

Development has not taken place in the area in the past, but it is taking place now

A company press release said the previous owner “permitted the development of a network of recreation trails on LPL land, which was then believed to be an area of ​​the LPL that would not be active for decades.” After purchasing the facility, DTG continued to support trail access and even installed surveillance cameras covering the trailhead parking lot to deter break-ins and sponsored the 2022 Rocky Top Trail Run.

Neighbors’ concerns led to the change of plan

But company officials say as soon as they decided to expand into a particular area, “complaints from neighbors led to regulators asking DTG to provide updated technical reports to supplement the dates under which permits for the plant were issued, before any waste was placed in the Western Filling Area.” DTG’s press release states that regulators “permitted DTG to place waste south of the then-current Filling Area (“Southern Filling Area”) while the results of the new studies were analyzed. “

Officials say the move to the southern fill area has raised safety concerns

The early move to the “Southern Fill Area forced DTG to restrict access to part of the trail system for public and operational safety reasons”. The press release states, “Since DTG has already been forced to move early into the Southern Fill area, development will continue to the south and west of the Southern Fill area, making an area unsafe for recreational users to reside in , which is actively being developed.”

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