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Blue Earth County approves landfill cell construction and closure plans, seeks MPCA grants for PFAS work
Summary
The county authorized construction and closure work at the county landfill and approved applying for Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grants to pilot PFAS treatment and to map PFAS sources; estimated contract and project costs were presented and local matching funds were committed.
Blue Earth County on Jan. 28 authorized contracts and project approvals for landfill cell construction and closure, and approved applying for state grants to test technologies and locate sources of PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) entering the landfill.
Michael Stolberger, director of Property and Environmental Resources, told the board the planned Cell 4B/5B/7 construction will open about 3.25 acres of permitted disposal capacity, providing roughly 200,000 cubic yards of capacity; the contractor estimate presented to the board was approximately $940,000. The board authorized the county administrator and the director to execute agreements needed to complete the work.
Stolberger also said the county needs to close portions of the active phase to establish final cover and divert stormwater from leachate collection; the board authorized county staff to proceed with the closure work to be completed in 2025. An engineer’s cost estimate for the closure work was provided in the meeting packet (transcript text: “engineer’s estimate of cost on this is just under $140,000,0.0”); the director said the project was budgeted and that completing closures earlier helps leachate management and PFAS preparedness.
On PFAS, the board approved a revised grant application strategy. Property and Environmental Resources described two grantable projects: (1) a technology pilot to evaluate PFAS removal methods from landfill leachate (project cost stated at just under $240,000) and (2) a project to identify where PFAS is entering the landfill (cost not specified in the meeting transcript). The county will apply for available MPCA grants and use Ponderosa Enterprise funds to provide required local matches (10%); Stolberger said if both grants are awarded the county’s aggregate local cost would be around $54,000 including staff time and materials. The board voted to authorize the re‑application and local funding commitment; the motion passed by voice vote.
Stolberger told commissioners that earlier contractor mobilization and deferred maintenance contributed to higher unit costs for the new cell construction than prior years, and that manager and staff expect much of the PFAS‑related future costs will be large and require ongoing board discussion.
The board approved the construction authorization, closure work authorization and the grant‑application resolution by voice vote. Stolberger said projects would move forward in 2025 pending grant awards and final contracting.
