2003 Minnesota Statutes

     115A.557 County waste reduction and recycling funding. 

    Subdivision 1.    Distribution; formula.  Any funds 
 appropriated to the director for the purpose of distribution to 
 counties under this section must be distributed each fiscal year 
 by the director based on population, except a county may not 
 receive less than $55,000 in a fiscal year.  If the amount 
 available for distribution under this section is less than the 
 amount available in fiscal year 2001, the minimum county payment 
 under this section is reduced proportionately.  For purposes of 
 this subdivision, "population" has the definition given in 
 section 477A.011, subdivision 3.  A county that participates in 
 a multicounty district that manages solid waste and that has 
 responsibility for recycling programs as authorized in section 
 115A.552, must pass through to the districts funds received by 
 the county in excess of the minimum county payment under this 
 section in proportion to the population of the county served by 
 that district. 

    Subd. 2.    Purposes for which money may be spent.  A 
 county receiving money distributed by the director under this 
 section may use the money only for the development and 
 implementation of programs to: 

    (1) reduce the amount of solid waste generated; 

    (2) recycle the maximum amount of solid waste technically 
 feasible; 

    (3) create and support markets for recycled products; 

    (4) remove problem materials from the solid waste stream 
 and develop proper disposal options for them; 

    (5) inform and educate all sectors of the public about 
 proper solid waste management procedures; 

    (6) provide technical assistance to public and private 
 entities to ensure proper solid waste management; 

    (7) provide educational, technical, and financial 
 assistance for litter prevention; and 

    (8) process mixed municipal solid waste generated in the 
 county at a resource recovery facility located in Minnesota. 

    Subd. 3.    Eligibility to receive money.  (a) To be 
 eligible to receive money distributed by the director under this 
 section, a county shall within one year of October 4, 1989: 

    (1) create a separate account in its general fund to credit 
 the money; and 

    (2) set up accounting procedures to ensure that money in 
 the separate account is spent only for the purposes in 
 subdivision 2. 

    (b) In each following year, each county shall also: 

    (1) have in place an approved solid waste management plan 
 or master plan including a recycling implementation strategy 
 under section 115A.551, subdivision 7, and a household hazardous 
 waste management plan under section 115A.96, subdivision 6, by 
 the dates specified in those provisions; 

    (2) submit a report by April 1 of each year to the director 
 detailing for the previous calendar year: 

    (i) how the money was spent including, but not limited to, 
 specific information on the number of employees performing SCORE 
 planning, oversight, and administration; the percentage of those 
 employees' total work time allocated to SCORE planning, 
 oversight, and administration; the specific duties and 
 responsibilities of those employees; and the amount of staff 
 salary for these SCORE duties and responsibilities of the 
 employees; and (ii) the resulting gains achieved in solid waste 
 management practices; and 

    (3) provide evidence to the director that local revenue 
 equal to 25 percent of the money sought for distribution under 
 this section will be spent for the purposes in subdivision 2. 

    (c) The director shall withhold all or part of the funds to 
 be distributed to a county under this section if the county 
 fails to comply with this subdivision and subdivision 2. 

    Subd. 4.    Report.  By July 1 of each odd-numbered 
 year, the director shall report on how the money was spent and 
 the resulting statewide improvements in solid waste management 
 to the house of representatives and senate appropriations, 
 finance, and environment and natural resources committees, the 
 Finance Division of the senate Committee on Environment and 
 Natural Resources, and the house of representatives Committee on 
 Environment and Natural Resources Finance.  The report shall be 
 included in the report required under section 115A.411. 

    HIST: 1Sp1989 c 1 art 19 s 1; 1991 c 337 s 26; 1992 c 593 art 
 1 s 17,54; 1994 c 585 s 13; 1994 c 639 art 5 s 3; 1995 c 247 art 
 1 s 19,20; 1996 c 470 s 27; 2000 c 490 art 10 s 1; 1Sp2001 c 2 s 
 125; 2002 c 374 art 6 s 2