Join a community meeting on the project on Nov. 24
General Waste and Recycling, LLC plans to convert approximately 19 acres of permitted industrial solid waste space in Itasca County so that it can accept nearly 100,000 cubic yards of municipal solid waste (MSW) per year. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) invites the public to comment on the environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) through Dec. 12, 2025, for the proposed conversion of its landfill.
The landfill currently accepts industrial solid waste and construction and demolition debris. Through this conversion project, General Waste and Recycling aims to add needed MSW disposal capacity in northeast Minnesota. The proposed project would maintain the facility’s ultimate capacity and existing footprint without significant expansion.
Those who wish to comment on the EAW should consider the EAW’s accuracy, potential impacts from the project that warrant further investigation, or the need for an environmental impact statement. The EAW reviewed potential impacts to air, local geology, soils, groundwater, surface water, and other potential environmental impacts. Some key findings include:
- To control gas generated from the landfill, the project will install vertical collection wells that capture and remove the gas.
- The two cells at the landfill to be converted will get a new system to collect leachate (liquid that drains from the waste). The system will include several protective layers: a strong plastic liner, a clay liner, and another compacted clay layer underneath to prevent leaks.
- The project will not require the use of additional groundwater. The landfill can utilize the groundwater that it already uses for its current operations.
- The project will include several design features to reduce the amount of leachate generated and keep it from affecting groundwater. These include using daily cover materials, limiting the active area of the landfill, using berms and slopes to direct stormwater away, putting a final cap on completed sections, and shaping the final surface so rainwater runs off properly.
Project construction would remain within the boundaries of the current landfill and would not increase the height or visibility of the facility. The MPCA permitted the landfill as a construction and demolition debris disposal facility in 2004.
The MPCA will host a public meeting for community members to discuss the full project in detail on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Keewatin Community Center located at 215 North First Street in Keewatin. There will be an open house and brief presentation on the environmental assessment worksheet with time for questions from the community.
The public can review the draft EAW and submit public comments by visiting the Smart Comment portal on the MPCA website or by mail to:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Audrey Maass
525 South Lake Ave Suite 400
Duluth, MN 55802
After the public comment period ends, the agency will review all comments and determine whether additional environmental review will be necessary. If the agency determines there is no need for additional environmental review, the project will proceed through solid waste permitting.