Landfills in the City of IGH

IGH is the host community for three landfills:

  • Pine Bend Landfill
  • Dawnway Landfill
  • SKB Rich Valley Landfill
The landfills currently operate under permits issued by the City and external agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), and Dakota County. The City receives host fee payments from the landfill operators. These payments help fund important City services, such as the Pavement Management Initiative, the Veterans Memorial Community Center (VMCC), and City regulation and monitoring of landfill operations. 

landfilllandfill

Pine Bend Landfill is a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill located at 2495 117th St E in Inver Grove Heights. The landfill is operated by BFI Waste Systems of North America LLC (BFI) and is permitted to operate through December 31, 2030, or once a capacity of 32.13 million cubic yards is reached. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), City, Dakota County, and other external agencies regulate the landfill's accepted wastes, waste disposal capacity, leachate collection (run-off from the landfill) and monitoring, groundwater monitoring, surface water monitoring, liner and cover system, surface and subsurface gas management and monitoring, and more. Waste types allowed for disposal include mixed municipal solid waste, non-hazardous industrial waste, and construction and demolition debris. This site is open to the public, with a 1 ton minimum disposal fee. Please call 651-457-2778 for site hours and disposal fees.

Proposed Vertical Expansion

In 2021, Pine Bend Landfill received a preliminary Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA) certificate of need (CON) from the MPCA, in the amount of 2,398,746 tons, for additional MSW disposal capacity. Acceptance of this additional waste would require Pine Bend Landfill to vertically expand and extend the length of time that it is approved to operate.

In 2022, BFI submitted a Request for Major Modification of Permit #SW-45 to the MPCA. This request details a proposed vertical expansion over the existing landfill footprint by raising the permitted peak elevations and extending the existing 3:1 slopes. No footprint increase is being proposed as part of the request. The request includes an additional 8.2 million cubic yards of airspace, which would raise the height of the current landfill by 85 feet at the highest point, and extend the landfill's life approximately 21 years (approximately 12 years past the City's existing agreements with BFI).

Proposed Expansion Tasks

Requesting a proposed vertical expansion requires BFI to complete a number of tasks. The tasks and public meetings related to the proposed expansion are summarized with their current status in the list below. Updates will be added to the task list as the City receives them.

Tasks Key: PBL = Pine Bend Landfill; EAC = City Environmental Advisory Commission; CC = City Council; MPCA = Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

TASK:STATUS:
1. PBL submits a Request for Major Modification of Permit #SW-45 to the MPCA.Completed
2. City Public Meeting: EAC and CC meetings to consider submittal of the City's review of PBL's 2022 Request for Major Modification of Permit #SW-45 to the MPCA.October 26 at 7 p.m. (EAC) and November 13 at 6 p.m. (CC) at IGH City Council Chambers, 8150 Barbara Avenue, IGH.
3. State of Minnesota's Environmental Quality Board publishes a 45-day public notice and request for comments on PBL's 2022 Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and Air Quality Permit (AQP).The public comment period opened on October 31 and will close on December 15, 2023. Submit public comments by December 15, 2023, at these links: EAW comments and AQP comments.
4. City Public Meeting: EAC and CC meetings to consider submittal of the City's review of PBL's 2022 EAW and AQP applications to the MPCANovember 16 at 7 p.m. (EAC) and November 27 at 6 p.m. (CC) at IGH City Council Chambers, 8150 Barbara Avenue, IGH.
5. MPCA Public Meeting: MPCA Public meeting for PBL's EAW and AQP applications.
November 30, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Woodcrest Church, 525 Cliff Road, Eagan. View meeting details.
6. PBL receives determination for EAW and AQP permit applications.
Not initiated.
7. PBL submits expansion request to the City to amend existing city agreements including the Non-Conforming Use Certificate, Host Community Agreement , and a Conditional Use Permit with the City.
Not initiated.
8. City Public Meetings: Will be held to review proposed PBL applications submitted to the City.
Not initiated.
9. PBL receives determination for City agreement amendments.
Not initiated.
10. PBL submits expansion request to Dakota County to amend existing County agreements.
Not initiated.
11. PBL receives determination for County agreement amendments.
Not initiated.
12. State of Minnesota's Environmental Quality Board publishes a public notice and request for comments on PBL's 2022 Request for Major Modification of Permit #SW-45 to the MPCA.
Not initiated.
13. PBL receives a determination on the Request for Major Modification of Permit Number SW-45 for Pine Bend Landfill from the MPCA.
Not initiated.