Our Mission

Keeping the water clean, the landfill secure, and the future bright.

The story of Freeway Landfill in Burnsville is a simple one. It’s been a three-generation, family-owned business since its start, 40 years ago. Bordering 35W south and the Minnesota River, the property comprises roughly 150 acres of landfill that the McGowan family has maintained safely for its entire existence. In fact, the landfill has been capped for over 30 years and poses no imminent threat to public health or the environment. In addition to the landfill, the McGowan property includes a 40-acre quarry with a concrete recycling business, a 10-acre Freeway Transfer Station that sorts and moves waste offsite, and a 30-acre golf driving range on the east side of Highway 35W.

 

If you missed our Trash Talk Event you can watch the entire video here

Discussion moderated by KSTP’s Tom Hauser

Value of the land

Post-closure, groundwater and landfill gas monitoring for more than twenty years, has never shown any results that indicate that the Freeway Landfill creates an imminent risk to groundwater, surface water, or landfill migration gas.

Vision for the future

Plans already exist for developing the property without taxpayer dollars, while increasing the tax base, and avoiding costly litigation. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Working with mpca & epa

Owners of Freeway Landfill have cooperated with State and Federal inspections, statutes, and requirements when properly notified.

Ground Water Testing

Freeway Landfill has conducted post-closure groundwater and landfill gas monitoring for more than twenty years. This monitoring has never shown any results that indicate that the Freeway Landfill creates a risk to groundwater, surface water, or landfill migration gas.

Seeking a Resolution

Over the years, the owners have proposed numerous solutions that address the future of the property – solutions that would treat all parties fairly.

Not Active For past 33 Years

Freeway Landfill has been dormant, accepting no new waste since 1994.

What the experts are saying

“It’s highly unusual to target legislation at one company. Legislation is supposed to be for the benefit of the public, and the legislation is supposed to apply to all of us. And that’s the whole purpose in doing legislation. We don’t legislate, we don’t create a rule for one entity or one person. We create a rule that’s going to apply to everybody. So to have not just one, but two pieces of legislation that have specifically targeted one business is very, very suspect.”

Sara McGrane
Attorney, Felhaber Larson

“As an environmental consultant who’s been involved with landfills since the early 1980s, I see no need to have a huge expenditure of money to address and move Freeway Landfill as the landfill poses no past, future, or any immediate threat at all to human health and the environment.”

Mark Olson
Senior Environmental Scientist, Stantec

“I believe Freeway Landfill is as safe or safer than other landfills I’ve been involved with over my career in the state of Minnesota. I feel that way because it’s in a groundwater discharge area and there’s no direct recipients of the groundwater, from under that landfill.”

John Lichter
Senior Environmental Engineer, Carlson McCain

BY THE NUMBERS

$165 MILLION

PROPOSED COST TO INITIATE DIG AND HAUL AND TOTAL COSTS COULD EXCEED $500 MILLION

40

ESTIMATED YEARS BEFORE KRAEMER QUARRY STOPS DEWATERING

ZERO

NUMBER OF CURRENT LAWSUITS AGAINST FREEWAY LANDFILL

$200-$300 Million

ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE LIMESTONE BENEATH THE FREEWAY LANDFILL

34 & 55

YEARS THE FREEWAY LANDFILL AND FORMER FREEWAY DUMP HAVE BEEN CLOSED

40

NUMBER OF TESTING WELLS ON FREEWAY LANDFILL (MORE THAN ANY OTHER LANDFILL IN MINNESOTA)

3

GENERATIONS OF CONTINUOUS FAMILY OWNERSHIP SINCE OPENING

The business. The family. The future.

Freeway Facts

Here are the real facts, from experienced engineers, scientists, and the family, who still work on the property. One key fact: while development proposals have been made in recent years, for a variety of reasons none have moved forward. Without a solution that involves the owner’s interests fairly, the future of the McGowan’s land could remain in limbo for decades to come.