St. Louis County Legacy Dump Damage Reversal Project in the Works

CANYON, Minn.– Around 250 closed dump and landfill sites across St. louis County is being addressed with a proposed project.

These sites are unlined and ultimately contaminating ground water.

To try and solve this, there’s a multi-million-dollar plan to help reverse the centuries-long damage at those sites.

The project is called the “St. Louis County Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus.”

The county wants to build it on nearly 800 acres of tax forfeited land in Canyon off highway 53.

The facility would store and treat contaminated liquids developed from decomposing garbage at those closed dumps and landfills in the county and even across the regions.

Often times, the liquid known as leachate contains forever chemicals known as “PFAS”.

And through this project, officials are eager to unveil a productive method to store those PFAS.

“Back then, it was unknown and convenient. You brought it to the local dump. But today, we understand it a lot better, that those dumps are leaching into our groundwater. And this is what this facility here is designed to do. Is to take care of that and protect our groundwater,” said Keith Nelson, St. Louis County Commissioner.

More than 650 acres of land in St. Louis County are occupied by the closed landfills and dump sites known as “legacy dumps.”

Commissioner Keith Nelson told FOX 21 there’s unanimous support by the board to get the project done.

The county has secured 2 million from the state so far, but six million dollars more is needed to complete the project.

“With the leadership of the board, we have developed the leachate treatment system that will be online in the end of 2026. We’re looking at replicating that process. Commissioner Nelson referred to that as being one of the first in Minnesota. We are the leader in St Louis County in developing that onsite wastewater treatment plant essentially is what it is,” explained Dave Fink, the St. Louis County Environmental Services Director.

Besides the environmental concerns leachate and forever chemicals can cause serious health risks.