1999 Minnesota Statutes

     115A.02 Legislative declaration of policy; purposes. 

    (a) It is the goal of this chapter to protect the state's 
 land, air, water, and other natural resources and the public 
 health by improving waste management in the state to serve the 
 following purposes:  

    (1) reduction in the amount and toxicity of waste 
 generated; 

    (2) separation and recovery of materials and energy from 
 waste; 

    (3) reduction in indiscriminate dependence on disposal of 
 waste; 

    (4) coordination of solid waste management among political 
 subdivisions; and 

    (5) orderly and deliberate development and financial 
 security of waste facilities including disposal facilities. 

    (b) The waste management goal of the state is to foster an 
 integrated waste management system in a manner appropriate to 
 the characteristics of the waste stream and thereby protect the 
 state's land, air, water, and other natural resources and the 
 public health.  The following waste management practices are in 
 order of preference: 

    (1) waste reduction and reuse; 

    (2) waste recycling; 

    (3) composting of yard waste and food waste; 

    (4) resource recovery through mixed municipal solid waste 
 composting or incineration; 

    (5) land disposal which produces no measurable methane gas 
 or which involves the retrieval of methane gas as a fuel for the 
 production of energy to be used on-site or for sale; and 

    (6) land disposal which produces measurable methane and 
 which does not involve the retrieval of methane gas as a fuel 
 for the production of energy to be used on-site or for sale. 

    HIST: 1980 c 564 art 1 s 2; 1989 c 325 s 2; 1991 c 337 s 5; 
 1992 c 593 art 1 s 4; 1994 c 585 s 2; 1999 c 231 s 131