1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to waste management; modifying certain solid 
  1.3             waste practices; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.4             sections 115A.02; 115A.03, by adding a subdivision; 
  1.5             297H.13, subdivision 2.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 115A.02, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      115A.02 [LEGISLATIVE DECLARATION OF POLICY; PURPOSES.] 
  1.10     (a) It is the goal of this chapter to protect the state's 
  1.11  land, air, water, and other natural resources and the public 
  1.12  health by treating waste produced in the state as a resource and 
  1.13  by improving waste management in the state to serve the 
  1.14  following purposes:  
  1.15     (1) reduction in the amount and toxicity of waste 
  1.16  generated; 
  1.17     (2) separation and recovery of materials and energy from 
  1.18  waste; 
  1.19     (3) reduction in indiscriminate dependence on disposal of 
  1.20  waste; 
  1.21     (4) coordination of solid waste management among political 
  1.22  subdivisions; and 
  1.23     (5) orderly and deliberate development and financial 
  1.24  security of waste facilities including disposal facilities. 
  1.25     (b) The waste management goal of the state is to foster an 
  2.1   integrated waste management system in a manner appropriate to 
  2.2   the characteristics of the waste stream and thereby protect the 
  2.3   state's land, air, water, and other natural resources and the 
  2.4   public health.  The following waste management practices are in 
  2.5   order of preference: 
  2.6      (1) waste reduction and reuse; 
  2.7      (2) waste recycling; 
  2.8      (3) composting of yard waste, ~~and~~ food waste, and 
  2.9   source-separated compostable materials; 
  2.10     (4) resource recovery through mixed municipal solid waste 
  2.11  composting or incineration and pilot projects to test emerging 
  2.12  technologies that incorporate processing and resource recovery 
  2.13  in their initial design; 
  2.14     (5) land disposal which produces no measurable methane gas 
  2.15  or which involves the retrieval of methane gas as a fuel for the 
  2.16  production of energy to be used on-site or for sale; and 
  2.17     (6) land disposal which produces measurable methane and 
  2.18  which does not involve the retrieval of methane gas as a fuel 
  2.19  for the production of energy to be used on-site or for sale. 
  2.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 115A.03, is 
  2.21  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.22     Subd. 13b.  [INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT 
  2.23  SYSTEM.] "Integrated waste management system" means the 
  2.24  systematic, coordinated management of solid waste that 
  2.25  incorporates multiple processes and technologies in a manner 
  2.26  that: 
  2.27     (1) enables the state to meet the waste management goals 
  2.28  established in section 115A.02, paragraph (a), and reflects the 
  2.29  waste management hierarchy established in section 115A.02, 
  2.30  paragraph (b); 
  2.31     (2) seeks to match waste management processes and 
  2.32  technologies with particular waste streams in a manner that most 
  2.33  appropriately fits the characteristics of those waste streams; 
  2.34  and 
  2.35     (3) optimizes the design and utilization of those processes 
  2.36  and technologies through the comprehensive analysis of all 
  3.1   reasonable alternatives, so as to minimize the cost of managing 
  3.2   waste appropriately while maximizing the public health and 
  3.3   environmental benefits.  
  3.4      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 297H.13, 
  3.5   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.6      Subd. 2.  [ALLOCATION OF REVENUES.] (a) $22,000,000, or 50 
  3.7   percent, whichever is greater, of the amounts remitted under 
  3.8   this chapter must be credited to the solid waste fund 
  3.9   established in section 115B.42. 
  3.10     (b) The remainder must be deposited into the ~~general~~ waste 
  3.11  reduction and recycling account, a special revenue account in 
  3.12  the environmental fund.  The commissioner of finance shall 
  3.13  transfer from this special revenue account to the general fund 
  3.14  an annual amount sufficient to cover any general fund bond 
  3.15  obligations related to solid waste activities.  The balance in 
  3.16  the special revenue account is appropriated to the director of 
  3.17  the office of environmental assistance for the purposes 
  3.18  specified in section 115A.557.  
  3.19     Sec. 4.  [OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE.] 
  3.20     The office of environmental assistance shall: 
  3.21     (1) continue its state solid waste advisory committee 
  3.22  process and develop statewide five-year goals to improve the 
  3.23  management of the state's solid waste, in a manner consistent 
  3.24  with an integrated waste management system as defined in 
  3.25  Minnesota Statutes, section 115A.03, subdivision 13b; and 
  3.26     (2) work with other state and local government agencies 
  3.27  involved in the management of solid waste in Minnesota to 
  3.28  improve data collection and coordinate date reporting, so that 
  3.29  accurate year-to-year comparisons can be made and trends 
  3.30  identified in a timely manner. 
  3.31     The director of the office shall report to the legislature 
  3.32  by January 1, 2003, on its efforts and activities pursuant to 
  3.33  this section, and shall include any recommendations for 
  3.34  legislative actions. 
  3.35     Sec. 5.  [LANDFILL LIABILITY REPORT.] 
  3.36     The commissioner of the pollution control agency shall 
  4.1   present a report to the legislature by January 1, 2003, 
  4.2   detailing the potential for long-term liability for Minnesota 
  4.3   waste generators and haulers for depositing waste in landfills, 
  4.4   both in the state and outside the state.  The commissioner shall 
  4.5   include recommendations for legislative actions. 
  4.6      Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.7      Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 are effective the day following 
  4.8   final enactment.  Section 3 is effective on July 1, 2005.