Agenda - Council - 04/23/1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ! SUMMARY OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEVl~[OPMENT GUIDE/POLICY PLAN INTRODUCTION The guide is a plan for managing the Metropolitan Area's solid waste well past the year 2000. It calls for developing a regional system of composting and recycling services, centralized processing facilities and transfer stations (drop-off points for waste subsequently taken to processing facilities). It is aimed at carrying out state and federal requirements for proper waste management, and emphasizes recovering usable materials and energy from waste while minimizing the use of landfills. BACKGROUND The seven-county Metropolitan Area generates nearly 5,500 tons of municipal solid waste daily. Municipal waste consists of paper, food waste, yard waste, glass, metals and other miscellaneous materials collected from residential, comercial and industrial sources. About two-thirds is generated by households and businesses; industry generates the remainder. Ninety-five percent of the region°s municipal waste goes to landfills. An estimated eight percent goes to landfills in counties bordering the seven- county area. About 87 percent goes to eight landfills currently operating in the area. Estimates of the amount that is recycled or otherwise recovered range from three to seven percent, but little reliable data is available. If the region continues its current, heavy reliance on landfills with no increase in recycling, it would possibly need as many as 15 new landfills. The health and environmental consequences of land disposal of waste have been increasingly documented in recent years. Damages can occur in the form of sur- face and groundwater contamination, air pollutant emissions, fires, explosions, food chain contamination, noise and odors. All of the landfills that have operated in the Metropolitan Area since 1970 are contributing to environmental or potential health problems. Incidents include contamination of surface water, methane gas migration, and nuisances such as litter, noise and odor. Groundwater contamination has been detected at all sites, with varying degrees of severity. AUTHORITY In response to this situation, the 1980 Minnesota Legislature passed the state Waste Management Act, significantly increasing the Metropolitan Council's responsibility for solid waste management in the Metropolitan Area. This act charged the Council with providing a long-range plan for managing solid waste in the region that provides for the reduction of waste, recovery of materials and energy and minimizes the practice of land disposal. The act requires the plan to set regional waste management policy and provide schedules for develop- ing waste facilities and activities to manage solid waste through the year 2000.