02-13-1985 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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M€tro odtavi CoMicfl Suite 300, Metro Square Building, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 POSITION PAPER FOR LEGISLATION ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT The goal of the Metropolitan Council's regional plan for waste management is to eliminate the use of landfills for most solid waste produced in the Twin Cities Region. To achieve that goal, the region needs to develop programs in a timely and dependable way to reduce the amount of waste generated and recover useful materials and energy. Many tools are already in place to support such programs, but additional ones are needed. To provide these took, the Council recommends a three- part legislative program that includes: 1) eliminating the land disposal of unprocessed municipal waste by 1990, 2) requiring by 1988 the separation of yard waste and recyclable materials at the source, and 3) increasing financial support for waste recovery and reduction programs. Eliminating Land Disposal of Unprocessed Municipal Waste by 1990 Proposed Legislation The Council proposes legislation that will restrict the use of landfills in the region only to residual materials remaining after incineration, recycling or other waste -reuse methods. Disposing of "unprocessed" municipal waste in landfills would not be allowed after 1990. Unprocessed municipal waste includes materials that could be recycled but have not been removed, and wastes that have not been stabilized by incineration or other processing methods (see Figure 1). The legislation would restrict the Council to approving landfill permits and the counties to licensing landfills only for processed waste. Why Action is Needed Now The Council has authority now to approve applications submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for permits to develop and operate waste disposal facilities, including landfills. The Council also has authority to issue certificates ofneed for new landfills if it determines there are not reasonable alternatives to land disposal. However, legislation prohibiting the land disposal of unprocessed municipal waste in the seven - county area would provide state policy direction for the Council, local government and private industry to accomplish the objective. It would make clear to all groups involved — public and private —that the region must take a new direction in dealing with solid waste. Figure 2 shows where the waste goes now. Benefits 612 291 -6359 Prohibition of land disposal of unprocessed waste offers many benefits. They include: — conserving remaining landfill capacity; — significantly reducing the number of new landfills needed in the region; — lessening the environmental risk from wastes that are landfilled; — lessening the objectionable characteristics of landfills, thereby resolving conflicts with neighboring properties; and — providing possible economic benefits. Waste processing can reduce the volume of waste requiring land disposal, thereby reducing the landfill capacity needed in the region to a fraction of that required for landfilling mixed municipal waste. If the region continues to rely on landfills for such waste, nearly all 18 sites identified by the region's counties would be needed. On the other hand, the region may need only two or three landfills if alternatives are used. The homogeneous, stabilized character of processed waste lowers the potential for adverse environmental impacts. The organic content in the waste is minimized, virtually eliminating the potential for generating methane gas and dramatically narrowing the range of potential contaminants Figure 1 WHAT IS MUNICIPAL WASTE? Yard Waste loran, brmcM,, Sows/ 18% 3