Where Your Trash Goes... and why it matters

It used to be such a simple question. You hired a trash hauler, and they took your trash to the Resource Recovery Facility in Newport. Since 1994, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local government cannot decide where garbage should be disposed, things have become more complicated. Now, when you are approached by trash haulers who say they can provide less expensive disposal services, you need to ask, "Am I getting what I pay for?" Some haulers offer low cost services by delivering the waste to landfills in Wisconsin or Iowa.

Do I have a Choice?

Yes, you maintain the legal right to determine the destination for your trash, unless you sign a contract with your hauler stating otherwise.

Sending your waste to the cheapest facility can create financial risk, or liability, for you. It can also undermine locally sponsored waste management programs, and harm the environment and waste resources.

Are landfills a problem?

Financial liability can arise if contamination is discovered at a landfill, and must be cleaned up. Federal law regards all people or businesses that send waste to a landfill, regardless of how much or what type, as a "potentially responsible party" (PRP). PRPs can be sued by landfill operators or other PRPs to recover money to help pay for landfill clean up. Such liability is not legal theory: businesses and governments in Ramsey and WashingtonCounties have paid for such cleanups at landfills in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Some trash haulers and landfills have begun to offer "indemnification" which promises to accept responsibility for such liability. Review such offers carefully, and consider getting legal advice. Under federal law, you are considered a PRP at every landfill that receives your waste.

Waste delivered to the Ramsey/Washington County Resource Recovery Facility has a greatly reduced environmental liability because it is processed to recover materials and energy o thereby conserving resources. Very little of what is delivered is eventually sent to a landfill, and the landfill that receives the residue meets the State of Minnesota's standards for operations and financial protection, which are among the strictest in the nation.

How do I know where my trash is going?