Iron Range sewer district (new law)

After a series of mishaps that delayed its creation for several years, the Central Iron Range Sanitary Sewer District will be established.

The district, which will manage the wastewater needs of a group of cities and townships northeast of Hibbing, was originally authorized in 2002; however, a series of errors in the original and subsequent legislation, as well as local problems, delayed its implementation.

A new law sponsored by House Majority Leader Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) and Sen. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) will fix all the errors, authorize the district retroactively from Dec. 27, 2003, and set up governance and operational requirements.

Effective May 21, 2009, a provision in the law changes the recipient of a $2.5 million appropriation for mercury treatment facilities that was made in the 2006 bonding law from the district to the city of Hibbing. It also specifies that the money is not available until an equal amount is committed from other sources.

HF17/SF79*/CH122