Background

The ECSWC was formed in 1988 through a joint powers agreement for the purposes of establishing and conducting a solid waste management program and for planning collectively on behalf of the member counties.  The member counties consist of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine. The five-county area contains 15 towns and cities of 1,000 or more in population and has a total population of 136,000.  The two southern-most member counties are experiencing rapid growth due to suburban expansion of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, while two other member counties remain mostly rural in nature.  The fifth member county is experiencing moderate growth that is expected to continue due to its location along the interstate highway corridor between the Twin Cities and Duluth. 

From 1988 through 1991 the ECSWC acquired property and constructed a number of solid waste management facilities.  These facilities included a 22 acre Subtitle D MSW Landfill, two MSW transfer stations, a Demolition Debris Landfill and a MSW composting facility. All of the facilities, with the exception of the MSW Composting facility, are active and operating.  The ECSWC owns over 160 contiguous acres as part of the MSW landfill facility.  This acreage provides the potential for a significant expansion of the system's permitted airspace however the current landfill footprint is only projected to last through mid-2008.

Current the ECSWC system transfers and disposes of over 70,000 tons per year of MSW.  Over 94 percent of the waste is delivered to the system by commercial haulers through 5-year waste disposal agreements which expire at the end of 2007.  The remaining waste is delivered by public agencies or private individuals.  Collection services in the region are provided by over 23 private waste haulers.  The ECSWC currently recycles tires, appliances and scrap metal.  All other recycling efforts are coordinated and conducted by the member counties and/or commercial haulers.