115A.55 Solid waste reduction. 

    Subdivision 1.    Coordination.  The director shall 
 develop and coordinate solid waste reduction programs to include 
 at least public education, promotion of waste reduction, and 
 technical and financial assistance to solid waste generators. 

    Subd. 2.    Technical assistance.  The director shall 
 provide technical assistance to solid waste generators to enable 
 the waste generators to implement programs or methods to reduce 
 the amount of solid waste generated.  The director may use any 
 means specified in section 115A.52 to provide technical 
 assistance. 

    Subd. 3.    Financial assistance.  (a) The director 
 shall make loans and grants to any person for the purpose of 
 developing and implementing projects or practices to prevent or 
 reduce the generation of solid waste including those that 
 involve reuse of items in their original form or in 
 manufacturing processes that do not cause the destruction of 
 recyclable materials in a manner that precludes further use, or 
 involve procuring, using, or producing products with long useful 
 lives.  Grants may be used to fund studies needed to determine 
 the technical and financial feasibility of a waste reduction 
 project or practice or for the cost of implementation of a waste 
 reduction project or practice that the director has determined 
 is technically and financially feasible. 

    (b) In making grants or loans, the director shall give 
 priority to waste reduction projects or practices that have 
 broad application in the state and that have the potential for 
 significant reduction of the amount of waste generated. 

    (c) All information developed as a result of a grant or 
 loan shall be made available to other solid waste generators 
 through the public information program established in 
 subdivision 2. 

    (d) The director shall adopt rules for the administration 
 of this program and may administer the program in conjunction 
 with the grant program established under section 115D.05.  The 
 rules must prescribe the level or levels of matching funds 
 required for grants or loans under this subdivision. 

    Subd. 4.    Statewide source reduction goal.  (a) It is 
 a goal of the state that there be a minimum ten percent per 
 capita reduction in the amount of mixed municipal solid waste 
 generated in the state by December 31, 2000, based on a 
 reasonable estimate of the amount of mixed municipal solid waste 
 that was generated in calendar year 1993. 

    (b) As part of the 1997 report required under section 
 115A.411, the director shall submit to the environment and 
 natural resources committees of the senate and house of 
 representatives, the finance division of the senate committee on 
 environment and natural resources, and the house of 
 representatives committee on environment and natural resources 
 finance a proposed strategy for meeting the goal in paragraph 
 (a).  The strategy must include a discussion of the different 
 reduction potentials to be found in various sectors and may 
 include recommended interim goals.  The director shall report 
 progress on meeting the goal in paragraph (a), as well as 
 recommendations and revisions to the proposed strategy, as part 
 of the 1999 report required under section 115A.411. 

    HIST: 1Sp1989 c 1 art 20 s 5; 1994 c 639 art 5 s 3; 1995 c 247 
 art 1 s 10,11; 1996 c 470 s 27 

*   NOTE:  Subdivision 3 is repealed on the effective date of 
*rules adopted under section 115A.0716.  Laws 1996, chapter 470, 
*section 29.