Laserfiche WebLink
The solid waste management system in the Metropolitan Area is undergoing <br />a dramatic change as a consequence of state laws. The existing sol id <br />wasl~e system can be characterized as almost exclusively privately owned <br />and operated. Many of today's landfills were open dumps upgraded in the <br />last t4 years to meet new environmental regulations. None of these land- <br />.fills have artificial liners or leachate collection systems, though many <br />have extensive groundwater monitoring systems. <br /> <br />Public awareness of environmental issues has caused many people to take a <br />second look at the way this Region handles its waste. This awareness has <br />decreased the ability for anyone (private or public) to site successfully <br />a landfill in the Region in the last decade. Because solid waste land- <br />fill space in the Region was on the wane and no alternatives were in <br />sight, the Minnesota Legislature required the seven metropolitan counties <br />to select potential sites for additional landfills. Environmental and <br />socioeconomic criteria and political considerations were used by, the <br />counties to select potential landfi.ll sites. Consequently, the new waste <br />management system will probably result in county-owned landfills. <br />Counties may operate or lease the landfill operation to a private party~ <br />Furthermore, it appears that all these landfills will have liners and <br />l eachate collection systems for groundwater protection. <br /> <br />Although the Region will be moving away from its reliance on landfills as <br />its solid waste management system, the change will not occur overnight. <br />It is clear that some new landfills will be needed for disposal of wastes <br />that cannot be reduced, recycled, composted, incinerated or abated in <br />other ways. The number of landfills needed is not clear, but will depend <br />on the extent of abatement achieved. The purpose of this report ~s to <br />examine and recommend changes to state law to spread or equalize the bur- <br />den of the new landfills or resource recovery facilities among the users <br />of those facilities. <br /> <br />m <br /> <br /> <br />