MPCA Reviewing Proposed Landfill Expansion Near Elk River; Seeking Public Comment

(KNSI) — Elk River Landfill, Inc. is proposing to expand its facility and is seeking public comment.

The expansion will go north into Livonia Township on 162.36 acres currently used by Martin Marietta Corporation for sand and gravel mining. The expansion would increase municipal solid waste capacity and includes a 7.21-acre area that overlaps with a previously permitted construction and demolition disposal area on a specifically engineered landfill site designed to contain and isolate debris from building and road demolition.

The landfill currently serves 23 counties in central Minnesota, plus limited areas in Iowa and Wisconsin. Current capacity is expected to be reached in approximately three years, and officials say the expansion would extend the facility’s operational life and maintain local waste disposal services.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is conducting an Environmental Impact Statement for the project and is asking for public comment on the Scoping Environmental Assessment Worksheet and Draft Scoping Decision Document, which are used to determine what will be studied in the EIS.

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19th, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Zimmerman-Livonia Fire Hall and Event Center, 26140 136th St. NW, Zimmerman. The meeting will include an open house and presentation on the environmental review process, with time for questions.

Documents can be reviewed and comments can be submitted through the portal on the MPCA website by clicking here or by mail at:

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Chris Green
504 Fairgrounds Rd., Suite 200
Marshall, MN 56258

Following the comment period, the MPCA will compile feedback and issue a final scoping document to guide the impact statement. For more information, visit the MPCA website by clicking here.

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