Contact: Cathy Cofshus, 507-206-2608
Rochester, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) recently issued a 10-year solid waste permit for the Ponderosa Sanitary Landfill in Blue Earth County. The permit issuance follows a public comment period on the permit and an Environmental Assessment Worksheet on the landfill’s planned expansion. The agency received no citizen comments on the proposed expansion.
The agency found that the expansion, as proposed, has no potential for significant environmental effects. The Ponderosa facility may expand its capacity from 2.95 million cubic yards to 5.31 million cubic yards, and the landfill area by 12.4 acres.
Blue Earth County purchased the landfill, which is about six miles southwest of Mankato, from a private operator in 1996. It is now operated by Ponderosa Management Co. under the direction of the Blue Earth County Environmental Services Department.
The expanded disposal area will be lined and include a system to collect and treat any rainwater or snowmelt that contacts the buried waste to prevent contamination of groundwater and the nearby Blue Earth River. As with the current landfill area, the facility will use a system of wells to detect any contaminants in groundwater.
The landfill accepts about 35,600 tons of municipal solid waste and about 8,000 tons of industrial waste a year. It also takes about 2,500 tons of noncombustible material, mostly glass and rock, left over from a process that converts waste into fuel that is burned to create electricity.
On the MPCA website, those interested can review the 
findings of fact (p-ear2-50b) . To access the final permit, call MPCA solid waste engineer Sherri Nachtigal at 507-206-2600.
