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SF 5228

Sustainable construction and demolition waste grant program establishment

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mark Koran and 1 co-sponsor

Provides grants and bonds to build infrastructure that processes, recycles, and closes unlined C&D landfills, prioritizing regional systems and environmental justice.

Author added Utke
#buildingsandbuildingcodes #environment #wasteandwastemanagement
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Bill Summary · SF 5228

Summary of SF 5228 (2025-2026) — Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Grant Program Establishment

Jurisdiction: Minnesota, Senate Bill No. 5228

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Transition Grants Program to support the transition away from unlined construction and demolition (C&D) landfills.
  • Provides funding and a framework for grants to acquire land, design, construct, and improve infrastructure that processes, manages, reduces, reuses, recycles, or otherwise handles C&D waste in an environmentally sound manner.
  • Aims to create regional systems and incentives that promote waste reduction, recycling, and safer landfill practices, with attention to environmental justice and public health benefits.

Key provisions and changes

Subdivision 1 – Grant program established

  • The commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency (PCA) may award grants to assist with capital costs for infrastructure projects that help transition away from unlined C&D landfills.

Subdivision 2 – Eligible grantees

  • Eligible grantees include:
    • For grants funded from the bond proceeds fund (designated as the Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Transition Grant Account): cities, counties, solid waste management districts, sanitary districts, or townships.
    • For projects funded from the general fund (Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Transition Grant Account): any person.

Subdivision 3 – Accounts

  • Establishes two accounts:
    • Bond proceeds fund account: funds appropriated from state bond proceeds; limited to acquiring land/interests, predesign, design, construction, and improvement of public infrastructure projects aligned with the program’s purposes.
    • General fund account: holds money from any lawful sources, including donations or transfers, for acquiring land/interests and developing both public and private infrastructure projects aligned with the program’s purposes.

Subdivision 4 – Sustainable C&D waste infrastructure grants

  • The commissioner may award grants for infrastructure to process and manage C&D waste, including collection, processing, waste reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, disposal, and addressing hazardous substances, toxic pollutants, and problem materials.
  • Projects may include ancillary processing of non-C&D waste if related.
  • Grants may cover up to 75% of eligible project expenses.
  • Preferences in awarding grants:
    1. Creates a regional system to transition away from unlined landfilling of C&D waste.
    2. Reduces C&D waste disposal via waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and other prevention methods.
    3. Serves environmental justice areas.
    4. Maximizes environmental, human health, and economic benefits.

Subdivision 5 – C&D enhanced landfill cover grants

  • The commissioner may grant funding for final enhanced cover systems to close unlined C&D landfills.
  • Grants may cover up to 50% of eligible project expenses.
  • Preferences in awarding grants:
    1. Supports a system transitioning away from unlined landfilling.
    2. Serves environmental justice areas.
    3. Demonstrates an effective cover design using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model to protect groundwater.
    4. Provides site-specific health and environmental risk evaluations and demonstrates compliance status.

Section 2 – Program appropriation and bond issuance

  • Appropriates $118,000,000 total for grants under Minnesota Statutes, § 115A.535:
    • $59,000,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2027.
    • $59,000,000 from the bond proceeds fund.
  • Bonding authority: Allows the commissioner of management and budget to issue up to $59,000,000 in state bonds to fund the bond proceeds portion, under state law (Minnesota Statutes chapters 16A.631–16A.675 and Article XI, sections 4–7 of the Minnesota Constitution).
  • Effective date: Section becomes effective the day after final enactment.

Affected entities and beneficiaries

  • Eligible grantees (depending on funding source) include:
    • Local governments (cities, counties, sanitary districts, townships) and solid waste management districts for bond-funded projects.
    • Private individuals or entities for general-fund-funded projects.
  • Projects likely to involve public and private infrastructure related to C&D waste processing, recycling, material recovery, and landfill closure.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Referred to the Capital Investment committee for consideration.
  • Funding structure requires a combination of general fund and bond proceeds.
  • The appropriation is allocated for fiscal year 2027 for the general fund portion, with bond proceeds funding contemporaneous projects.
  • Final enactment required for the section to become effective.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Accelerates the closure of unlined C&D landfills through grant support for enhanced covers and transition infrastructure.
  • Encourages regional coordination and environmental justice considerations in grant awards.
  • Supports job creation and local economic benefits through upgraded waste processing and recycling facilities.
  • Establishes a long-term funding mechanism (two accounts) to sustain infrastructure investments beyond a single fiscal year.

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

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