The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) today released its initial environmental assessment worksheet for the proposed expansion of a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill owned by the East Central Solid Waste Commission (ECSWC) near Mora. ECSWC proposes to add 1.7 million cubic yards of MSW capacity. The MPCA will host a public meeting on the proposed project on Oct. 29 in Mora. The public is invited to comment on the initial scoping environmental assessment worksheet (SEAW) and draft scoping decision document (DSDD) through Nov. 6, 2025.
Comment on the draft documents
The public is encouraged to comment on draft documents for environmental review that are open for public comment for 30 days, starting Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.
A community meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Kanabec County Courthouse.
ECSWC is applying for a 10-year permit to add MSW capacity to their currently permitted landfill while conducting environmental review for the unpermitted areas of its landfill expansion. An additional 9.2 million cubic yards of capacity over 62.1 acres will be added with the proposed expansion capacity in the EAW and to what has already been permitted but not yet built.
ECSWC currently accepts MSW, construction and demolition waste, and industrial waste from Kanabec, Chisago, Isanti, Pine, and Mille Lacs counties. It will reach its permitted capacity by next year. Without additional capacity, area businesses and individuals won’t have a local facility where they can send their waste. This proposed expansion will extend the operational life of the landfill by approximately 39 years and allow ECSWC to continue to serve the five-county area’s waste disposal needs.
Those who wish to comment on the SEAW and DSDD should consider both documents’ accuracy and potential impacts from the project that warrant further investigation. The SEAW looks at these items to determine the scope of the environmental impact statement (EIS). Some key findings include:
- The SEAW identified permits, contamination, hazardous materials, and wastes, as well as fish, wildlife, plant communities, and sensitive ecological areas as important. The MPCA determined the information provided in the SEAW is adequate for use in the EIS with only minor updates.
- The SEAW identified water resources, air quality assessment, greenhouse gas assessment, and traffic impact study as potentially significant issues. Information beyond what is in the SEAW will be included in the EIS.
- The DSDD provides a summary of the items to be reviewed in the EIS.
The MPCA will host a public meeting for community members to discuss the proposed project impacts on Oct. 29, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Kanabec County Courthouse located at 317 E. Maple Ave. in Mora. The meeting format will include an open house and brief presentation on the environmental review and decision document.
The public can review the SEAW and DSDD and submit public comments by visiting the Smart Comment portal on the MPCA website or by mail to:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Megen Kabele
Environmental Review Unit
7381 Airport View Dr. SW
Rochester, MN 55902
The expansion of a municipal solid waste landfill of this size requires the project to go through the EIS process. An EIS is a more extensive process with more detailed information about the project’s potential for significant environmental impacts. The EIS also provides project alternatives and identifies methods to reduce environmental effects. This process begins with the SEAW and DSDD to inform what is going to be studied in the project’s EIS.
After the public comment period is complete, the agency will review all comments and create a final scoping document that will be reviewed as part of the EIS.