Solid waste permits

Global: New online service for solid waste permits

The MPCA will soon be rolling out a new online service for solid waste permits and approvals. Content on this page is tied to that service and may not yet be completely operational.

The MPCA regulates waste, recycling, and disposal activities in Minnesota. MPCA permits are required for the design, construction, and operation of solid waste management facilities where storage, collection, transportation, processing or reuse, conversion, or disposal of solid waste occurs:

• municipal solid waste and specialty landfills
• composting facilities
• recycling and material recovery facilities
• waste incinerators
• transfer stations

Solid waste permits in Minnesota 

Recent solid waste permit documents issued by the MPCA can be found in What's in My Neighborhood. The tool does not currently include all previously issued solid waste permits.

All solid waste permits issued by MPCA are available by information request or can be reviewed at MPCA's St. Paul office.

Who needs a permit?

Any industrial facility, municipality, or private entity must obtain a solid waste management facility permit or permit modification to:

• treat, store, process, transfer, or dispose of solid waste
• establish, construct, or operate a solid waste management facility
• change, add, or expand a permitted solid waste management facility

Types of permits and approvals

The MPCA is authorized to issue different types of permits and approvals based on the activities occurring at a facility. 

Approvals. Activities requiring authorization without needing a permit.

• Demonstration/research project - a limited scale project designed to promote new methods of solid waste management
• Case-specific beneficial use - a case-by-case determination on whether the proposed management option for the specific solid waste is a beneficial use

Individual permit. Activities requiring a permit tailored to a specific solid waste facility.

• Permit issuance or reissuance - a permit required for the initial or continued operation of a solid waste facility, including all solid waste activities occurring within the property boundary
• Permit extension - a specific group of solid waste facilities operating under an existing permit may submit a notification prior to permit expiration instead of an application for continued operation
• Change of ownership - a change in the owner, landowner, or operator of a permitted solid waste facility
• Major modification - a change that exceeds a minor modification as described below
• Minor modification - a change that won't result in actual or potential increases in a solid waste facility’s pollution discharge and won't hamper the agency's ability to monitor the permittee's compliance

Notifications. Activities requiring a notification prior to commencing. 

• General permit - a permit that covers a group of facilities with similar activities and discharge
• Permit-by-rule (PBR) - a solid waste facility or activity that meets certain requirements or thresholds outlined in Minnesota rules is deemed to have obtained a permit without applying for one
  • Modification – a change in permittee, PBR activities, or facility plans
  • Renotification – a subsequent notification for continued operation of transfer station PBRs
• Waste tire transporter – an organization or person that removes waste tires from a waste tire generator, tire dump, or waste tire facility and delivers the waste tires to another waste tire facility

Questions on which permit or approval you may need? Solid Waste Permit Selection Assistance (w-sw7-62)

Who is a permittee?

A solid waste permit includes three types of permittees: activity owner, operator, and landowner.

• activity owner owns the facility or part of the facility
• operator is responsible for the operation of a facility
• landowner owns the land containing the facility

Steps to issuing a permit

These steps provide an overview of the general process and do not apply to every permit or approval.

1. Permit application: Permittee submits application to MPCA, and agency staff reviews it for completeness
2. MPCA team reviews information to develop the permit
   • technical review
   • compliance review
3. MPCA develops permit and supporting documents
   • limits, monitoring, and reporting requirements
   • special conditions: compliance schedule, plans to minimize pollutants, etc.
   • standard permit conditions
   • technical support document
4. Permit review before public notice: The MPCA sends the permittee a draft of the permit to review before placing the permit on public notice.
5. Public notice: Interested parties may submit written comments, a request for a public informational meeting, or a petition for a contested case hearing. Comments received during this period may result in revisions to the draft permit.
6. Final permit issued and effective: Permits are issued for a period of 10 years. The permittee must apply for permit reissuance to continue coverage beyond the permit's expiration date.

The MPCA strives to review permit applications within 30 days and notify applicants if their package is complete. We may request additional details for clarification. To meet our goal of issuing permits within 150 days, we need your prompt response to all requests.

Use the online permit application tracker to track progress. 

Contacts for assistance

The MPCA provides technical assistance to help solid waste facilities meet environmental requirements. If you have a solid waste permit, use the online solid waste contacts tool to reach the solid waste staff assigned to your facility.