MPCA proposes new landfill rules to address water contamination concerns

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is accepting comments on its draft landfill rules through Friday, Sept. 12.

The agency is in the process of amending rules around permits and solid waste landfills. The goal is to incorporate lessons learned about the potential for groundwater impacts of unlined construction and demolition landfills.

"MPCA monitoring has found pollutants in groundwater around unlined C&D landfills at levels which exceed standards to protect human health and the environment," the agency states on its website.

Public comment on the proposed rules is open through Sept. 12. Comments can be submitted online. The rules are expected to be adopted in late 2026.

Under the proposed rules, existing unlined construction and demolition landfills will have one year to draft a transition schedule. They can remain open for two, five or eight years after the rules are adopted, depending on the type of cover system they select.

Additional resources, including the full draft rule summary and recordings of past public meetings, are available on the MPCA's website.