Comment period opens on long-awaited permit renewal for Rock County landfill

Seven years after submitting an application to renew its demolition landfill permit, Rock County is on the final steps of completing that process.
On Sept. 7 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency opened the comment period with a “Public Notice of Intent to Reissue” letter. Interested individuals can submit comments on the draft permit for Rock County until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.
The 17-page Solid Waste Facility Permit is available online at pca.state.mn.us/publicnotices.
Comments must be submitted in writing and answer the following three statements:
•your interest in the draft permit;
•the action you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to the section of the draft permit you believe should be changed;
•the reasons supporting your position, stated with sufficient specificity as to allow the MPCA to investigate the merits of the position.
Rock County Land Management officials submitted a renewal application for an additional 10-year permit on March 23, 2009. The state, however, waited until May 2015 to request more information as part of the permit process.
The demolition landfill has been allowed to operate under the old permit while state officials waited for additional information.
As requested by the state, the county hired a hydrologist last fall to re-evaluate and enhance the county’s landfill monitoring plan. She finalized her report earlier this year showing sufficient proof that the landfill’s clay liner and current practices (such as banning treated lumber at the facility) are effective protection for the area’s groundwater.
The Rock County Demolition Debris Landfill was originally issued a MPCA permit in 1998.
About a decade ago MPCA officials began examining and questioning how effective clay-based facilities are at protecting surrounding groundwater supplies. The closer look slowed down Rock County’s permit renewal issuance until now.
All comments, petitions and other requests about the reissuance of Rock County’s demolition landfill permit must be submitted by the deadline to Daniel Aamodt, Industrial Division, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55101.
Depending on the number and issues raised from the written comments, MPCA officials could go back and make changes to the permit before renewing the permit for an additional 10 years.