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Updating Minnesota's Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Planning Rules

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is planning to amend parts of Minnesota Rules Chapters 9215.0500 through 9215.0880 that govern the development, adoption, and implementation of solid waste management plans in Greater Minnesota. The rules will be modified to reflect the demographic, geographic, regional, and solid waste system differences that exist among the counties outside the Metropolitan Area.

Why are revisions needed? The current solid waste planning rules were adopted in 1986 and subsequently amended in 1992 to reflect legislative amendments to the Waste Management Act mandated in five legislative sessions during 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991. Since then, county solid waste management systems have matured, presenting the opportunity to improve rule requirements and make them more effective. Some of the goals of this rule revision include:

• Update the rule to coincide with current solid waste management practices.
• Eliminate rule requirements that are redundant or no longer needed.
• Encourage regional planning where viable and beneficial to those counties involved.
• Provide counties more flexibility in choosing waste abatement strategies and integrated solid waste management systems that reflect demographic, geographic, regional and solid waste system differences that exist in Greater Minnesota.

Current Minnesota Solid Waste Management Planning Rules published on the Minnesota Office of Revisor of Statues Web site:

• Chapter 9215

Rulemaking History

On December 27, 2004, the Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA) published in the State Register (notice 29 SR 764)

• Request For Comments Planned Amendments to the Rules Governing the Development, Adoption and Implementation of Solid Waste Management Plans in greater Minnesota. Minnesota Rules, Chapter 9215, Parts 9215.0500 to 9215.0880.
• Preliminary Draft published on December 27, 2004 

To facilitate comments and answer questions on the proposed rule amendments, there were four (4) informational meetings in 2005:

• Feb. 2, 2005 (Mankato): Meeting notes
• Feb. 9 (Bemidji): Meeting notes
• Feb. 23 (Elk River): Meeting notes
• June 21 (St. Paul): Meeting notes

Schedule

Questions?

Technical content and rule process questions may be directed to Hank Fisher at (218) 529-6265 or henry.fisher@pca.state.mn.us.