This bill, Minnesota Senate File No. 1979, proposes an amendment to Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 123B.51, prohibiting the construction of schools near former landfills. The bill introduces a new subdivision (Subd. 1a) that explicitly prevents schools from being built within one-quarter mile of a dump site or closed landfill.

Key definitions in the bill: - "Closed landfill" refers to sites listed on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) website as potentially contaminated. - "Dump site" includes: - Unpermitted municipal solid waste disposal sites identified in the February 2001 Dump Assessment Study. - Unpermitted disposal sites listed on the MPCA website as potentially contaminated. - Sites recognized by a county solid waste officer as having been unpermitted municipal solid waste disposal areas. - "School" includes public schools and charter schools, covering buildings, playgrounds, and athletic fields.

This measure aims to protect students and staff from potential environmental and health hazards associated with former landfill sites.