08-23-84 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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i10 41,4191,4 . ° ' f 11.1i r+ �E 4 yi , I mss' f . � r I 0- ,... int di . . ,rte ' • • Rep. Darby Nelson is taking legislative steps to ease cities into a post-landfill era. 0 What Public Officials Can Do 1 About Landfills1 Minnesota's new law shifts the economic balance between landfilling and recycling—and provides funds for recovering solid wastes. DARBY NELSON Minnesota House of Representatives MOST ELECTED OFFICIALS recognize the imprudence of This has caused abatement strategies to appear relatively more continued reliance on landfills as the principle means of solid expensive than they actually are. This in turn fosters a general , waste disposal, and with good reason. The longterm economic reluctance by many local officials.to embrace a fundamental consequences of contending with polluted groundwater are enor- shift to substantive abatement strategies to replace the emphasis mous. on burial. In response to a growing frustration with sluggish Yet despite the availability of a plethora of alternatives to regional abatement activity at a time when regional landfilling burying garbage, the landfill emphasis continues. capacity is running low,the 1984 Minnesota legislature passed a Relative front-end costs understandably strongly influence comprehensive solid waste abatement measure,the Metro Land- methods of waste disposal chosen by local officials from among fill Abatement Act. Passed as part of an omnibus waste bill, this the various solid waste disposal strategies. act is an important piece of environmental legislation that should Unfortunately the tip fee for landfilled waste has never fully significantly reduce the future need for landfill capacity in the reflected the actual costs P Y of burial of garbage to be borne bythe Minneapolis-St.apolis St. Paul area. public. This hidden public subsidy of landfills,by not appearing Groundwater pollution is one of many costs that don't appear i on the balance sheets of landfilling, has prevented a valid eco- on the economic balance sheets of landfills. The cost of an alter- nomic comparison between landfilling and the various abate- native water supply for one suburban community, Lake Elmo, ment alternatives. affected by the Lake Jane landfill, could reach nearly one mil- Darby Nelson is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives lion dollars. This doesn't include monitoring expenses, long and serves on its Legislative Commission on Waste Management. He term operational costs or the ultimate costs of lawsuits pending also is vice-Chairman of the House Environment Subcommittee. His against two counties from individuals impacted by pollution at District includes Anoka-Hennepin and Wright Counties. the Lake Jane site. July/August 1984 jl