Legislative Priorities

Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus

Legislative Request: $6M 

County Match: $6M

St. Louis County's Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus aligns with the State's goal to protect ecosystem health, remediate PFAS (Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances) contaminated sites, and manage PFAS in waste by constructing an advanced leachate treatment facility in Canyon that will provide a solution for the entire Northeast region. This new facility will serve as a repository for leachate generated by landfills within the region as well as consolidate old landfills and dumps into a lined facility to contain PFAS-contaminated waste.

What is PFAS?

PFAS is a large family of man-made chemicals that are forever present in the environment due to frequent use since the 1930s. At certain levels they are toxic--causing adverse health effects in humans, fish, and wildlife.

Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus

St. Louis County Closed Dumps and Landfills Interactive Map

Voyageur National Park Clean Water - Ash River Wastewater Treatment and Collection System

Legislative Request: $8M

This project is a part of a collaborative effort between St. Louis County, Koochiching County, U.S. Park Service, MPCA, Clean Water Council (and many others) to clean up the waters of the Voyageurs National Park.

The Ash River Sanitary District is made up of a mix of residential and commercial properties. Based on age of systems and inspection data from St. Louis County, existing septic systems on these properties have a 78% rate of non-conformance with county and state on-site system rules. This leads to pollution of groundwater and surface water systems, including Ash River and Lake Kabetogama - deemed Outstanding Resource Value Waters by MPCA, and part of the Voyageurs National Park system.

The proposed plan includes constructing a low-pressure collection system which conveys sewage to a wastewater treatment facility. Effluent from the treatment facility will be discharged in a subsurface treatment system, similar to aseptic system mound. The improvements will eliminate the need for individual septic systems on the properties within the district and improve groundwater and surface water quality.