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Key: (1) language to be deleted (2) new language

CHAPTER 225--S.F.No. 663

An act

relating to environment; making changes to resource recovery provisions;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 115A.15, subdivisions 2, 9, 10; 115A.151; 116.78, subdivision 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 115A.15, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Duties of commissioner of administration.

The commissioner of administration shall develop policies to require state agencies and the state legislature to separate all recyclable and reusable commodities wherever feasible. deleted text begin The commissioner shall develop and institute procedures for the separation, collection, and storage of used commodities wherever feasible in state agencies and shall establish policies for the reuse, sale, or disposition of recovered materials and surplus property. The commissioner shall promote and publicize the waste reduction and waste separation and recovery procedures on an ongoing basis to all state employees.deleted text end The commissioner shall issue guidelines for the procurement of recyclable commodities and commodities containing recycled materials that include definitions of recycled materials, the percentage of recycled materials to be contained in each commodity and performance specifications. To the extent practicable, the guidelines shall be written so as to give preference to recyclable commodities and commodities containing recycled materials. The commissioner shall inform state agencies whenever recycled commodities are available for purchase. The commissioner shall investigate opportunities for the inclusion of and may include local governments and regional agencies in administrative state programs to reduce waste, and to separate and recover recyclable and reusable commodities.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 115A.15, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9.

Recycling goal.

deleted text begin By December 31, 1996, the commissionerdeleted text end new text begin Each state agencynew text end shall recycle deleted text begin at least 60 percent by weight ofdeleted text end the solid waste generated by deleted text begin statedeleted text end new text begin itsnew text end offices and other deleted text begin statedeleted text end operations located in the metropolitan areanew text begin at a rate that is the highest of: (1) 60 percent by weight; (2) the recycling rate required of a metropolitan county under section 115A.551, subdivision 2a; or (3) the recycling rate in compliance with the solid waste management policy plan goals under section 473.149. Each state agency shall recycle at least 60 percent by weight of the solid waste generated by its offices and other operations located outside of the metropolitan areanew text end . By March 1 of each year, deleted text begin the commissionerdeleted text end new text begin each state agencynew text end shall report to the Pollution Control Agency the estimated recycling rates deleted text begin by county for state offices and other state operations in the metropolitan area for the previous calendar yeardeleted text end new text begin from the previous calendar year. State agencies shall report progress in achieving the recycling goal in the format specified by the Pollution Control Agencynew text end . The Pollution Control Agency shall incorporate these figures into the reports submitted by the counties under section 115A.557, subdivision 3, to determine each county's progress toward the goal in section 115A.551, subdivision deleted text begin 2deleted text end new text begin 2anew text end .

Each state agency deleted text begin in the metropolitan areadeleted text end shall work to meet the recycling goal individually. deleted text begin If the goal is not met by an agency, the commissioner shall notify that agency that the goal has not been met and the reasons the goal has not been met and shall provide information to the employees in the agency regarding recycling opportunities and expectations.deleted text end new text begin If the recycling goal is not met by a state agency, that agency shall provide information to all employees in the agency regarding recycling opportunities and expectations, and notify the Pollution Control Agency of the action that has been taken to meet the recycling goal.new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 115A.15, subdivision 10, is amended to read:

Subd. 10.

Materials recovery facility; materials collection; waste audits.

deleted text begin (a) The commissioner of the Department of Administration shall establish a central materials recovery facility to manage recyclable materials collected from state offices and other state operations in the metropolitan area. The facility must be located as close as practicable to the State Capitol complex and must be large enough to accommodate temporary storage of recyclable materials collected from state offices and other state operations in the metropolitan area and the processing of those materials for market. deleted text end

deleted text begin (b)deleted text end new text begin (a)new text end The commissioner shall establish a recyclable materials collection and transportation system for state offices and other state operations in the metropolitan area that will maximize the types and amount of materials collected and the number of state offices and other state operations served, and will minimize barriers to effective and efficient collection, transportation, and marketing of recyclable materials.

deleted text begin (c) The commissioner shall perform regular audits on the solid waste and recyclable materials collected to identify materials upon which to focus waste reduction, reuse, and recycling activities and to measure: deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) progress made toward the recycling goal in subdivision 9; deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) progress made to reduce waste generation; and deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) potential for additional waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. deleted text end

deleted text begin (d)deleted text end new text begin (b)new text end The commissioner may contract with private entities for the activities required in this subdivision if the commissioner determines that it would be cost-effective to do so.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 115A.151, is amended to read:

115A.151 deleted text begin RECYCLABLE MATERIAL CONTAINERdeleted text end new text begin RECYCLINGnew text end REQUIREMENTS; PUBLIC ENTITIESnew text begin ; COMMERCIAL BUILDINGSnew text end .

(a) A public entitynew text begin and an owner of a commercial buildingnew text end shall:

(1) ensure that facilities under its control, from which mixed municipal solid waste is collected, deleted text begin have containers fordeleted text end new text begin also collectnew text end at least three recyclable materials, such as, but not limited to, paper, glass, plastic, and metal; and

(2) transfer all recyclable materials collected to a recycler.

(b) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "public entity" means the state, an office, agency, or institution of the state, the Metropolitan Council, a metropolitan agency, the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission, the legislature, the courts, a county, a statutory or home rule charter city, a town, a school district, a special taxing district, or any entity that receives an appropriation from the state for a capital improvement project after August 1, 2002;

(2) "metropolitan agency" and "Metropolitan Council," have the meanings given them in section 473.121; deleted text begin anddeleted text end

(3) "Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission" means the commission created in section 473.702new text begin ; andnew text end

new text begin (4) "commercial building" means a building that: new text end

new text begin (i) is located in a metropolitan county, as defined in section 473.121; new text end

new text begin (ii) contains a business classified in sectors 42 to 81 under the North American Industrial Classification System; and new text end

new text begin (iii) contracts for four cubic yards or more per week of solid waste collectionnew text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2016. new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 116.78, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Sharps.

new text begin (a) A person shall not place sharps with recyclable materials, as defined in section 115A.03. new text end

new text begin (b) new text end Sharps, except those generated from a household or from a farm operation or agricultural business:

(1) must be placed in puncture-resistant containers;

(2) may not be compacted or mixed with other waste material whether or not the sharps are decontaminated unless it is part of an infectious waste decontamination process approved by the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency that will prevent exposure during transportation and disposal; and

(3) may not be disposed of at refuse-derived fuel facilities or at other facilities where waste is hand sorted.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end

Presented to the governor May 7, 2014

Signed by the governor May 9, 2014, 10:10 a.m.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes