[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,76,87],{"_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",6610645,"mediaKeyId","2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a","parentId",2902112,"title","Washington County seeks $4 million to build regional wood‑waste recovery site for ash‑borer debris","audioSeconds",501,"startMs",3902280,"endMs",4403675,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a&start=3902&end=4403","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a/thumbnail_3902280.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6610645/Minnesota/Washington-County-seeks-4-million-to-build-regional-woodwaste-recovery-site-for-ashborer-debris","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610645-c6c0b584c5d6a9611c0e95ce37bd8324/orig.mp4?Expires=1775434489&Signature=KZ6EQD~uxVxW2rEXlBnoCOUW8sU6721Elre6P8n7UJp1b7TgL5CDEsKAoYag5ASBOcJp0fyVNX0MwbRURKt11BFXPqHO1FDLeTxAC0gU~1FSas0Ricj719D~JaxXGzlBrhyqq2g0cRQNPAaB73soGznOoPfSt7vRcYHXgwD2pRnl~Q-oPK0wb5m-JheEk5JMS5xul-WfOQzzYAH7kYlGs9nU2gVU99J3Lg9XE-yz1ecdzEURSFeBTnwIzrN-O~ZnHIZXdP33sN~XTHg-3spjIJdndXPz3BL97NJR~JZW9kMzWL5ds0MR9waX4HvlGI5ummBWGy3QJIOpbhaxb2ZZsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-04-08T20:55:55.04Z","article","Washington County officials asked the House Capital Investment Committee on April 8 for $4 million in bonding to acquire and develop a regional wood‑waste recovery site to cope with a surge in tree debris from emerald ash borer and other removals.

Commissioner Bethany Cox told the committee that metro counties are required by the Metro Solid Waste Management Plan to address wood waste and that in 2024 the metro area generated an estimated 550,000 tons of wood waste. Cox said tipping fees for tree services have risen substantially and that some companies and residents are resorting to open‑air burning because of limited disposal options.

\"This $4,000,000 bonding request is a smart investment to develop a replicable solution to this collective problem,\" Cox said, describing plans to recover usable logs for lumber production and to convert unrecoverable material into biochar for soil and water‑quality uses. Commissioner Cox said the proposed site would handle more than 30,000 tons of wood and would free capacity at District Energy for other communities.

Caleb Johnson, a county public‑health and environment staffer, told the committee the project would be matched with $5.5 million in local funds for equipment, services and site development. Johnson said the county intends to make some products available for public benefit, including soil‑amendment products to support local water‑quality projects.

Why this matters: Counties and tree‑service companies are reporting steep cost increases and limited disposal capacity. Backers said a regional facility could reduce open burning, capture value from waste trees and produce usable materials while providing a model other counties might replicate.

No formal committee action was taken during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Capital Investment Committee 4/8/25","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners told the Capital Investment Committee that emerald ash borer tree waste has surged and that $4 million in bonding would help acquire and develop a wood‑waste recovery site that can process tens of thousands of tons and produce lumber and biochar.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6610649,"Attorney general and counties back $75 million request to add 50 DCT beds at Anoka Metro RTC",0,4261784,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a&start=4261&end=4261","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a/thumbnail_4261784.jpg","/articles/6610649/Minnesota/Attorney-general-and-counties-back-75-million-request-to-add-50-DCT-beds-at-Anoka-Metro-RTC","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610649-91ae01bfe3474b51bbf420826160a7a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775434489&Signature=djv8LS-pwPFMQE-X7pdg5uJBbHCQXPkSoN6jmVU~rcoCiJi~n~L2SxtldICJ1oUoAxGPwAktp4qJYE9kYo~i93B-vu56v0EkbDpHx3Lj4586RwXSdxcbJQ1G~nrtO-BxC9KBRcwvmuhgVvDawmk79Oli49-G7X2NelUXvLPk9ul3ZUhVZy2wC8Ok8RmLYmyk9yvLtFbHKWW2nhxG17fvPf4lqTuBm3jgg~mT8ldgm~WtzDmbzGkQOIY~FiyCrICH9Q-koI88J5G0nbOjA68orvE66s~NUIUTHDJs6r6L-UjdRWE~E-xT7ZmmMMhqCYcdEL6uF0POEObgwN0ogU5JrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Keith Ellison and county representatives told the House Capital Investment Committee on April 8 that the state should fund a 50‑bed residential treatment facility at the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center (AMRTC) to reduce lengthy waits for people on the priority‑admissions list.

Ellison, who co‑chaired the priority admissions task force, said the panel recommended increasing Direct Care and Treatment (DCT) bed capacity as the top action. \"The first and most important recommendation of both of these reports is to increase bed capacity and access to services of direct care and treatment at all levels of care,\" Ellison said, describing average wait times of about 33.6 days at the end of 2024.

Vice Chair Jamie Frederick presented House File 2,587, which carries a $75 million A‑1 funding request to design and construct a 50‑bed facility on the AMRTC campus. Ellison said the money would fund demolition of the Miller Building and construction, furnishing and equipping of a new therapeutic residential building. He said the building would help move people out of jails and local hospitals into appropriate treatment settings.

Matt Freeman, human services policy analyst for the Association of Minnesota Counties, told the committee AMRTC is the state's largest psychiatric hospital and that lack of capacity is straining counties and local resources. \"Imagine waiting 30 days for access to ICU care,\" Freeman said, comparing psychiatric bed shortages to other acute medical needs.

Speakers from law enforcement and county human services were listed among task‑force supporters, and multiple legislators on the committee echoed their concern at the length of waits and the strain on sheriffs, jails and hospitals. Representative Tim Scott (committee member) and other members described jail and hospital staff managing people who require inpatient mental‑health treatment.

Why this matters: The task force assembled by statute concluded that expanding inpatient capacity is a central and timely step in addressing the state's priority‑admissions backlog. Committee supporters said building 50 additional beds at AMRTC is one of several required steps — including better front‑end community treatment and workforce development — to reduce long waits and align placements with appropriate levels of care.

The committee did not vote on the request during the hearing; proponents asked the panel to include the funding in the capital investment package.","Attorney General Keith Ellison and county officials urged the House Capital Investment Committee to fund a 50‑bed residential treatment building at Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center to reduce long priority‑admissions waits from jails and hospitals.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6610652,"Attorney General, MPCA brief committee on PFAS settlements and limits for local water projects",1069,49575,1119205,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a&start=49&end=1119","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2902112-36cf73a5eca06fd822a3ffd1dbe8286a/thumbnail_49575.jpg","/articles/6610652/Minnesota/Attorney-General-MPCA-brief-committee-on-PFAS-settlements-and-limits-for-local-water-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610652-775ef7fe89cdc55f3014253f072db738/orig.mp4?Expires=1775434489&Signature=nna15mhFk1mgujt~SFle24T-1~Ug0cZsCfpKqQ6Mx7YLCwWPP8C5CkgHazYGSjWtpno5i~Vp3pTWrHAA~CGB9oNhM~XwhxOoP4N5wGBnqcyz7iksRxMDit4bbVnzTZOFnXbIwOb16rFpUeVtyWBKC47npBk0RCCoivKmZyCP7AYLYNLACVyU~E0wII8TcGuJr7M8Cefzm7s1LDZG5VLWkGqL5RMyvFO2yfEu-kAKBvnqf9aoZnoAG-x~qv1AJ5FcSf23SOGXZspoqIL9Hqf~HeMbJUM0-AdR4YkmRYBqZae5mQ3~pzKd83hEfTToT7fxZkyi9IlUWWShHtuioBhNfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An update to the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee on April 8 made clear that multi-billion-dollar PFAS settlements at the national level and the state-level 3M settlement will produce some money for public water systems, but that the awards will cover only a small share of most projects.

Assistant Attorney General Oliver Larson of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office told the committee the two national settlements — one involving 3M and another involving DuPont — together made available roughly $12 billion to $13 billion for eligible water systems, and that the claims administration process will be complex and prolonged.

\"The first checks probably won't be cut until 2026,\" Larson said, describing a claims-administration timeline that will allocate funds over roughly 10 years. He said about 12,000 water systems were eligible under the national settlements and that roughly 900, or about 7 percent, opted out of the settlement process.

Larson cautioned legislators not to expect the settlements to be a primary source of capital for large infrastructure projects. \"I would be shocked if there's any community that's going to get more than about 10% of what they need to build the projects that they're contemplating,\" he said, adding that a more typical recovery he expects is closer to \"3 to 5%.\" He gave an example: a $50 million project might recover roughly $1.5 million to $2 million under those distributions.

Committee members pressed Larson on how to verify whether local governments had opted into the national settlement. He said the claims administrator had previously declined to share a list, and that his office will request it again, but recommended asking individual communities when they apply for state assistance.

Kirk Adelka, who identified himself as assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), told the committee MPCA projections from last fall estimate the MPCA-administered portion of the 3M settlement will be exhausted by fiscal year 2027 because of existing capital and operational projects. Adelka said the agency will present updated numbers to its community work groups in May.

Adelka provided a list of communities and sites tied to Minnesota's 3M settlement funds that are driving demand: Maplewood, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Woodbury, St. Paul Park, Newport, Cottage Grove; townships including Lakeland and Denmark; the Prairie Island Indian Community; and four landfill/disposal sites in Washington County tied to 3M wastes in Oakdale, Woodbury and Cottage Grove. He said roughly 15 communities were directly involved in the Minnesota allocation effort he described.

MPCA staff and the Attorney General's Office described other policy options under consideration. Adelka and committee members noted MPCA, Department of Health and the Pollution Free Agencies (PFA) have proposed statutory language that would allow the state to fund urgent projects and later seek cost recovery from responsible parties if they are identified and successfully pursued. Adelka described the approach as a partial safeguard for taxpayers but cautioned it will not address long delays in identifying and litigating responsible parties.

Larson added that establishing liability for PFAS releases can be legally complex and that manufacturers' solvency is a material factor in settlement negotiations: \"The amount of money that will be spent to deal with this issue by several times exceeds the net worth of the parties that manufacture these products,\" he said, noting the risk that further litigation could push manufacturers into bankruptcy and not create more recoverable funds.

Why this matters: committee members said local governments are coming to the legislature seeking state help for urgent drinking-water projects tied to PFAS contamination. Both the Attorney General's Office and MPCA told the committee the national settlements will provide some funding to water systems, but committee members and agency officials warned those dollars are unlikely to be sufficient to fully fund large capital projects and that state or local funds will remain necessary.

The committee did not take any formal action during the briefing. MPCA said it will present updated fall projections to community work groups and continue coordination with the Attorney General's Office.","State Attorney General and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency officials told the House Capital Investment Committee that national and state PFAS settlements will provide funds to water systems but are unlikely to cover most project costs; Minnesota's 3M settlement funds are projected to be fully committed by fiscal 2027.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Washington County seeks $4 million to build regional wood‑waste recovery site for ash‑borer debris

Attorney general and counties back $75 million request to add 50 DCT beds at Anoka Metro RTC

Attorney General, MPCA brief committee on PFAS settlements and limits for local water projects