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Landfill cleanup bonds proposed

Published (2/29/2008)
By Nick Busse
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A bill sponsored by Rep. Julie Bunn (DFL-Lake Elmo) would use the state’s remediation fund to finance up to $25 million in bonds to pay for cleaning up closed landfill sites in four areas.

HF3232 is intended to help remediate contaminated landfill sites in Mille Lacs, Washington County, the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District and Albert Lea. The House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division referred the bill without recommendation Feb. 28 to the House Finance Committee after several division members raised concern about the bill’s proposed financing mechanism. The bill has no Senate companion.

One of the main purposes of the bill would be to fund remediation of the Washington County Landfill, which has been leeching perfluorochemicals (PFCs) into the east metro drinking water supply. For that purpose, $15 million would be advocated — an amount equivalent to the governor’s original recommendation for the project.

According to statute, the state’s remediation fund was created to fund cleanup efforts for “hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, agricultural chemicals, and petroleum, and for environmental response actions at qualified landfill facilities.” It is funded primarily by a solid waste tax.

Rep. Denny McNamara (R-Hastings) was among the division members who expressed reservations about using the remediation fund to pay off the approximately $1.8 million per year in debt service on the bonds, rather than just using general obligation bonding.

Bunn said she understood the concern, but also underscored the urgency of the issue, citing an expectation from the communities around the Washington County Landfill that remediation action would begin as soon as this summer.

“This is a very reasonable way to do it, because we have this dedicated revenue stream,” she added.

Division Chairwoman Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls) agreed that action should be taken as soon as possible, but said legislators needed more information on how much funding was needed and what kind of mechanism should be used.

“I think everybody knows that we need to get the job done,” Wagenius said.

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