[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6636279,"mediaKeyId","2611338-7460b3bdc0a0a83100a53050d6ed826b","parentId",2611338,"title","House bill would ban landfilling of solar panels and related components; committee advances bill to general register","audioSeconds",1090,"startMs",11000,"endMs",1101000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2611338-7460b3bdc0a0a83100a53050d6ed826b&start=11&end=1101","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2611338-7460b3bdc0a0a83100a53050d6ed826b/thumbnail_11000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6636279/Minnesota/House-bill-would-ban-landfilling-of-solar-panels-and-related-components-committee-advances-bill-to-general-register","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6636279-a35e4bbb0ebffe00da354a110df006c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147104&Signature=cBG2LMlMW1DeuO6tm6A5k4sKdEAsgfUn254ILIwAm7i2bZXxiB0YdiTfUGNJp3Dv4TZdi8tTnTm7VdQVZukJwDhe7j5V2AbLkmsZQCvsLTIDLoY3Pz0ucEvR0ZleTUm89BbVQR9KifqmaL6DzFsSEr9oZtWn1I3boekU7Ll-puSWF687CYBfBdJqIxAvcTA1bZ3dOcu7dSHpNI1PQV~maj-otVim5G6A0efE-gOpkaizm20xcgW5joJtXrHntx-OG9lA4S5AnpD5GzbuenKCEXspr6Bf3xSB6nkQ6F8TgQdOKKLsdrVZqnDri9z6WBJCBvxtchPcMrunAEdYMZqJ2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-03-13T21:56:09.83Z","article","House File 1040, sponsored in committee by Representative Scott, was amended and recommended to be placed on the general register after a committee vote.

The bill, as adopted into the DE2 shape and with an oral clarification offered by the author, would bar the disposal of solar photovoltaic modules “or system installation components” and prohibit landfill disposal of wind energy conversion system components. Representative Scott told the committee the legislation was pared back from an initial stewardship-program concept and is intended as “a moratorium on the dumping of that stuff right now” to prevent potential human-health and groundwater harms. “It costs over $20,000,000 to clean that up and I just don't want that happening anywhere else,” Representative Scott said, referencing a hazardous-waste cleanup she worked on previously.

Why it matters: Testimony from state agency staff and several advocacy and industry groups focused on two issues: environmental and public-health risks if components enter landfill leachate, and the readiness of regional recycling infrastructure to handle increasing volumes of retired solar panels and wind components as deployments grow.

Kirk Koudelka, assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), told the committee the MPCA supports the bill and recommended the amendment clarifying that the prohibition cover “system installation components” as well as panels. Koudelka said MPCA's report on solar-panel reuse and recycling recommended a disposal ban and additional work to build capacity and supply chains for higher-level recycling beyond aluminum-frame and glass recovery.

Conservation Minnesota and the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MNSEA) both testified in favor of the amended bill for solar. James Lehner of Conservation Minnesota said adopting a landfill ban “is a good, sensible step” to make Minnesota's clean-energy grid and waste management more sustainable. David Moberg of MNSEA said his organization, representing more than 70 member companies and about 5,000 Minnesota employees, supported the landfill ban for panels and commended Representative Scott for working with stakeholders.

The American Clean Power Association (ACP) expressed conditional support for addressing end-of-life solar waste but urged the committee to remove wind infrastructure from the bill or to adopt a phased approach for utility-scale projects. Madeline Smarillo of ACP argued that Minnesota currently lacks sufficient recycling infrastructure for utility-scale projects, warning that an immediate, comprehensive landfill ban for utility-scale projects could force project owners to truck material out of state or store waste on-site. ACP recommended separate treatment for projects larger than 50 megawatts and a phased enforcement schedule while recycling capacity expands. ACP also cited the MPCA-contracted Eunomia study and said module recycling demand will not spike until after 2040, allowing time to scale capacity.

Committee action: Committee leadership moved House File 1040 and the DE2 amendment into the bill record; the committee adopted an oral amendment to insert the phrase “or system installation components” after “solar photovoltaic modules” to align solar language with the bill's wind-component language. Following that amendment and discussion, the committee renewed the motion and re-referred the bill to the general register.

Votes and formal actions recorded in the transcript: the committee chair moved the bill and the committee adopted the oral amendment and advanced the bill to the general register. The transcript records members responding verbally to voice votes; a named roll-call tally was not recorded in the transcript excerpt.

What remains: Speakers from industry and the MPCA said further work is needed to expand recycling capacity and refine options for utility-scale wind and solar material management. ACP asked for additional amendments or a phased approach for large projects. MPCA and stakeholders said they will continue working through a multi-stakeholder process and may recommend additional legislative or administrative steps if necessary.

Ending: With the committee vote, House File 1040 moves to the general register. Committee testimony indicates agreement on preventing landfill disposal of solar panels but disagreement about the appropriate timing and treatment for utility-scale wind infrastructure — an issue the bill's author and stakeholders indicated they would continue to discuss.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 3/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","House File 1040, sponsored in committee by Representative Scott, was amended and recommended to be placed on the general register after a committee vote.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6636274,"Bill to delay corrections to Minnesota's public waters inventory divides farmers, environmental groups; committee lays bill over",2531,1104000,3635000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2611338-7460b3bdc0a0a83100a53050d6ed826b&start=1104&end=3635","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2611338-7460b3bdc0a0a83100a53050d6ed826b/thumbnail_1104000.jpg","/articles/6636274/Minnesota/Bill-to-delay-corrections-to-Minnesotas-public-waters-inventory-divides-farmers-environmental-groups-committee-lays-bill-over","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6636274-5aa67fc20017bbd0eb43dd022cfa099c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147104&Signature=RlY9iQzEkGv95Hi-QZoZP9OoDq92TJpBPgoO5QDJL~K6cKZzvzsHdpYYsdlPlU6gqQGxCEXWUdLIyXdat1OvLG079DD3E2Z~FZDrPSyp88VpA2y8YTSoc5RdL6ErMXJaz5RxRm1J4RtarAvVUkn9G6cXpgiUNSrbGO6OcO6lpyxtTirg1obi40RsdZZDEvPLsmyHavrh~-kU91f8n~GYdYy-iZ~QePTFm0lvw7TLPbe-0Y7O5hsyJSracTCpys~TmRzbSXzk9NRxfuEv~QLZfv6PwQFe4jYhtdDlqwy-wqkUJfnMlWZYrSNoFS69FMJR~x7SR-cLhW4Om~pqlgk1Ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Schultz introduced House File 253 and moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion after the committee adopted an A1 amendment that would change how the drainage law defines “public waters.”

The amendment and bill would make the PWI list the controlling definition of public waters for drainage law and would prohibit the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from modifying the PWI until July 1, 2027. The proposal generated contrasting testimony: farm and county representatives sought regulatory certainty and a temporary moratorium on changes after the Limbo Creek litigation, while conservation groups, fisheries advocates and environmental law organizations warned the proposal would prevent correction of known mapping errors and reduce protections for small headwater streams.

Why it matters: Public waters designation determines whether work such as ditching and drainage projects require permits and buffer protections. Several testifiers said uncertainty over the PWI has left landowners and counties uncertain about obligations; others warned that locking in the inventory would leave statutory protections unenforced for waters that meet the statutory definition but are omitted from the map or list.

Key testimony and agency briefing: Joe Smentek, executive director of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, speaking also for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and Farm Bureau, said farmers need “regulatory certainty” after the Limbo Creek decision and that the PWI maps are how his members determine compliance. John Ladenscheski of Minnesota Trout Unlimited said many small headwaters and trout stream stretches had been omitted historically and urged a no vote on the bill because delay would preserve errors and encourage further litigation.

Randall Dohneen, manager in DNR's Ecological and Water Resources division, briefed the committee on DNR's planned statewide update to the PWI. He said the 2024 legislature appropriated $1,000,000 a year for eight years for the inventory update; DNR has hired five hydrologists (one lead and four regional specialists), developed a public website and subscription list with more than 4,000 subscribers, ran a public webinar attended by more than 300 people, and plans county-by-county preliminary correction maps followed by public meetings and comment periods. Dohneen told the committee the DNR expects to have technology and trained staff by May 2025. He also said that if HF253 were enacted as written, DNR would be prohibited from issuing final orders to change the inventory until after July 1, 2027, which would delay corrective action.

Environmental groups including the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), Minnesota Environmental Partnership, and Minnesota Trout Unlimited opposed the bill. MCEA’s Aaron Clems said pausing the PWI corrections “will only make it harder for individuals to know whether a water body…meets the definition of a public water,” and noted DNR previously removed miles of waterways in past revisions and has acknowledged some deletions were errors.

Committee action: Representative Schultz moved adoption of the A1 amendment; the committee adopted it by voice vote. Representative Schultz then laid House File 253 over for possible inclusion; the committee clerk recorded the layover. The transcript contains multiple questions from committee members about how the amendment would interact with DNR's planned update, whether routine updates (for meanders, newly drained areas or other changes) could still be made during the moratorium, and how the A1 amendment would affect drainage-law permitting.

What was unresolved: DNR staff said the agency had begun hiring and outreach and would continue preparatory work but that final correction orders could not be issued under the moratorium. Committee members expressed divergent views — some, including Representative Finke and Representative Hansen, argued the legislature had already acted to clarify the definition in 2024 and that DNR should proceed with the update; others said the bill was meant to provide time for broader stakeholder engagement.

Ending: The committee adopted the A1 amendment and laid House File 253 over for possible inclusion; proponents and opponents signaled they will continue to negotiate statutory language and administrative processes as the session proceeds.","Representative Schultz introduced House File 253 and moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion after the committee adopted an A1 amendment that would change how the drainage law defines 'public waters.'","actionData","errors"]

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House bill would ban landfilling of solar panels and related components; committee advances bill to general register

Bill to delay corrections to Minnesota's public waters inventory divides farmers, environmental groups; committee lays bill over