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HF 5070

Sustainable construction and demolition waste grant program established, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Max Rymer

The bill funds grants to build regional, processing and recycling infrastructure to reduce unlined C&D landfills, with up to 75% cost coverage and a focus on environmental justice.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Capital Investment
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Bill Summary · HF 5070

Summary of HF 5070 (2025-2026) – Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Grant Program

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Transition Grants Program to support infrastructure projects that facilitate Minnesota’s transition away from unlined construction and demolition (C&D) landfills.
  • Provides funding through both bond proceeds and general fund appropriations to support land acquisition, design, construction, and improvement of public or private infrastructure related to waste processing, reduction, recycling, and environmental protection.

Key provisions and changes

Statutory framework

  • Creates new Minnesota Statutes, section 115A.535, for the Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Transition Grants Program.
  • Defines two accounts to hold grant funds:
    • Bond Proceeds Fund account: Used to fund grants from bond proceeds for eligible infrastructure projects.
    • General Fund account: Used to fund grants from general fund appropriations for eligible projects.

Eligible grantees

  • Subdivision 2 defines eligible grantees as:
    • For bond proceeds-funded projects: cities, counties, solid waste management districts, sanitary districts, or townships.
    • For general fund-funded projects: any person.

Grant purposes and eligible activities (Subdivision 4)

  • Grants may cover infrastructure to process and manage C&D waste, including:
    • Collection, processing, waste reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, disposal.
    • Projects addressing hazardous substances, toxic pollutants, and problem materials in the C&D waste stream.
    • Ancillary processing/management of non-C&D waste as related functions.
  • Projects must align with policies established under section 115A.02.
  • Grant coverage: up to 75% of eligible project expenses.

Preference criteria (Subdivision 4)

  • Preference given to projects that:
    1. Create a regional system to transition away from unlined landfilling of C&D waste.
    2. Reduce C&D waste through reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, and prevention of disposal.
    3. Serve environmental justice areas.
    4. Maximize environmental, human health, and economic benefits.

Enhanced landfill cover grants (Subdivision 5)

  • Allows grants for final enhanced cover systems for closing unlined C&D landfills.
  • Grant coverage: up to 50% of eligible expenses.
  • Preference criteria include:
    • Supporting a transition away from unlined landfilling.
    • Serving environmental justice areas.
    • Demonstrating an effective cover design based on the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model to protect groundwater.
    • Providing site-specific risk assessments and environmental health considerations.

Program funding (Section 2)

  • Appropriation: $118,000,000 total to the Pollution Control Agency for grants under §115A.535.
    • $59,000,000 from the general fund (FY 2027).
    • $59,000,000 from the bond proceeds fund.
  • Bond issuance: The Commissioner of Management and Budget must sell and issue bonds up to $59,000,000 to support the bond proceeds fund portion of the appropriation, under applicable state law (Minnesota statutes and constitutional provisions).

Affected parties and impacts

Beneficiaries

  • Eligible government entities (cities, counties, solid waste districts, sanitary districts, townships) can access bond-funded grants for C&D waste infrastructure.
  • Private entities or individuals can access general fund-funded grants for eligible projects (beyond the traditional public entity model).

Environmental and public health impacts

  • Aims to reduce reliance on unlined landfills by funding regional systems and advanced C&D waste processing/recycling.
  • Encourages environmentally just projects and areas with higher environmental justice concerns.
  • Emphasizes risk-aware designs for landfill coverage and groundwater protection (HELP model criteria).

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • Effective date: The act is effective the day after final enactment.
  • Implementation: Grants administered by the Pollution Control Agency; bond issuance overseen by the Commissioner of Management and Budget.
  • The program envisions significant near-term funding (total $118 million) with a split between general fund and bond proceeds, allowing upfront capital for infrastructure and long-term repayment via bonds.

Overall assessment

HF 5070 proposes a substantial investment in Minnesota’s infrastructure to modernize the management of construction and demolition waste, reduce unlined landfill use, and promote environmental justice and public health protections. The mix of grant types (up to 75% of project costs for most grants and up to 50% for enhanced landfill cover) and the dual funding mechanism (general fund and bond proceeds) are designed to accelerate regional, predesign/design, and construction activities toward a more sustainable C&D waste system.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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