Dive Brief:

• Cowlitz County Superior Court ruled that Mt. Solo Landfill Inc. must pay homeowners $350,000 in damages since the site violated minimum standards for landfill operations.
• The judge in the case ruled that the corporation was responsible for lowering the value of a home located next to the shuttered landfill and causing both physical and mental damage.
• ​The couple filed suit after the owner stopped maintenance at the landfill after declaring bankruptcy, nobody oversaw the operations, which led to noise and odor from the non-compliant landfill.

Dive Insight:

The judgement found the home was reduced in value by $150,000 due to the landfill issues; gas and vapors have caused $80,000 in damages; stress caused $120,000 of mental anguish since the couple can't move and the home won't sell.