Perham Resource Recovery Facility. (OTC)
Perham, MN – State Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) has secured nearly $8.5 million in state funding to support major solid waste infrastructure improvements benefiting Otter Tail County and surrounding west-central Minnesota counties.
The funding package includes:
- $7.267 million through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Solid Waste Capital Assistance Grant Program for the Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority (PLMSWA) Ash Recovery & Recycling Center project; and
- $1.177 million through the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for construction and equipment related to ash storage and recycling operations in Otter Tail County.
“These projects address a significant regional infrastructure need while helping reduce future costs to local taxpayers,” said Sen. Rasmusson. “Solid waste infrastructure is extremely expensive, and securing state participation helps lessen the burden on county property taxpayers while ensuring the region can continue managing waste safely and efficiently.”
The Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority is a partnership among Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Todd, and Wadena counties that processes approximately 54,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually through its resource recovery facility in Perham. The operation generates approximately 10,000 to 11,000 tons of ash each year that must be managed at the Northeast Otter Tail landfill near New York Mills.
The funded project will support development of critical new infrastructure, including an ash processing and storage facility and related transfer station improvements at the Northeast Otter Tail landfill. The facility will allow the region to modernize how waste-to-energy ash is managed while improving operational efficiency and extending the useful life of existing landfill assets.
The project also supports continued use of processed ash as a construction material in road base and full-depth reclamation projects. Pilot projects completed in Otter Tail County and planned in Becker County have demonstrated the ability to safely use processed ash in roadway reconstruction while recovering recyclable metals and reducing disposal volumes. County officials noted the effort creates a beneficial partnership between solid waste management and transportation infrastructure by repurposing a waste byproduct into a usable construction material for local road projects.
In addition to reducing landfill demand, the project is expected to generate transportation-related benefits by lowering the need to haul ash to distant disposal facilities and reducing the demand for virgin aggregate materials typically mined and transported for road construction. Officials say the project will help improve long-term efficiency and reduce transportation costs associated with regional waste management operations.
County officials noted that increasing state and federal environmental requirements are driving the need for additional investment in local solid waste systems. Proposed Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rule changes are expected to require demolition waste to be disposed of in lined landfills, creating significant future infrastructure and transportation costs for counties operating older facilities.
“This funding helps our counties proactively address long-term waste management needs before they become much larger financial burdens on local residents,” said Chris McConn. “Without state assistance, projects of this scale would place substantial pressure on local tax levies and county solid waste fees.”
The project is also expected to reduce long-term landfill liabilities, improve material recovery operations, and create a centralized regional facility capable of serving the five-county PLMSWA partnership well into the future. Revenue from recovered metals, reduced landfilling costs, and operational efficiencies are expected to help support ongoing operations and maintenance costs.
“Senator Jordan Rasmusson really went to bat for our area, and we’re grateful for his work getting this funding across the finish line,” said Dan Bucholz, an Otter Tail County commissioner and member of the PLMSWA Board. “Folks don’t always think about what it takes to manage garbage and solid waste, but it’s one of those essential services counties have to get right. These are expensive projects that local taxpayers simply can’t shoulder alone. This funding helps our counties stay ahead of the curve, keep costs down as much as possible, and make sure we’ve got the infrastructure in place to serve the region for years to come.”
Story courtesy of Otter Tail County.
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