Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to provide funding for a regional solid waste management system in northwest Minnesota. This includes constructing and upgrading facilities across nine counties to improve waste management practices.

Main Provisions

1. Funding Allocation: The bill allocates a total of $34,588,148 from bond proceeds to the Pollution Control Agency. These funds are designated as grants for the development of waste management facilities across the following counties: Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Polk, and Red Lake.

2. Facility Development: The money will fund the construction of new buildings, renovation of existing facilities, site improvements, and acquisition of capital equipment necessary for processing and managing solid waste.

3. Specific Projects:

   • Develop a new regional debris disposal facility in Hubbard County.
   • Construct and improve mixed-use collection and processing facilities in each of the nine counties.

4. Use of Bond Proceeds: The sale and issuance of state bonds are authorized to finance the projects listed.

5. General Fund Appropriation: An additional $15,718,103 is appropriated from the general fund for heavy equipment, containers, and trailers necessary for waste management facilities in the counties listed.

6. Definitions and Terms: The bill defines relevant terms like "capital equipment", "site improvements", "building", and "spoke", which refer to components of waste processing facilities essential for their operation.

Significant Changes

• Infrastructure Enhancement: The bill proposes significant enhancements and expansions to the existing waste management infrastructure, aligning with modern waste processing and management standards.
• State Bond Authorization: The authorization for state bond sales marks a financial commitment to long-term infrastructure improvements in waste management, suggesting a shift towards more comprehensive and organized regional waste disposal and recycling systems.

Relevant Terms

• Bond proceeds
• Pollution Control Agency
• Solid waste processing
• Regional debris disposal
• Mixed-use collection and processing facilities
• Capital equipment
• Site improvements
• Heavy equipment
• General fund appropriation