Digging into the historyof Freeway Landfill

Richard McGowan purchases future landfill property.

City of Burnsville issues a conditional use permit allowing Freeway Landfill to begin accepting waste.

MPCA issues a state permit for Freeway Landfill to operate.

Federal Resource Conservation & Recovery Act passed which governs the management of hazardous waste; imposing more stringent guidelines on what landfills can accept.

State of Minnesota designates multiple Minnesota landfills as Superfund sites, including Freeway Landfill.

EPA adds Freeway Landfill to the Superfund National Priorities List

Environmental consultants, Conestoga Rovers, completes Remedial Investigation which concludes that Freeway Landfill is not a significant risk and that the site be delisted from the National Priorities List

Faced with the choice of upgrading or closing, owners close Freeway Landfill.

Supplemental Remedial Investigation completed (deeper wells installed due to increased Kraemer Quarry dewatering); Investigation re-confirms Freeway Landfill is not a significant risk and should be delisted from the National Priorities List.

Following MPCA guidelines, eight gas-monitoring probes are installed, and the landfill is covered with required 2 feet of soil, which has since grown to a depth of 30 feet.

District Court orders MPCA to close Freeway Landfill – which the MPCA never does.

Minnesota state legislature creates the Closed Landfill Program, requiring Freeway Landfill owners give up all rights to their property. As a result, owners refuse entry into program.

Going against standard well-installation guidelines, MPCA installs eight monitoring wells directly into long-dormant Freeway Landfill waste.

State legislature passes a bill creating a “Priority Qualified Facility.” The new statute requires Freeway Landfill, upon notice from the State, to enter into a binding agreement with the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency transferring power and control of the landfill to the MPCA.

Landfill undergoes multiple rounds of private and government testing, re-testing, and monitoring. Meanwhile, multiple lawsuits, legislative and local government efforts are initiated resulting in no action. Still, Freeway Landfill and Freeway Dump continue to pose no risk to local drinking water or environment.

MPCA proposes two options to handle Freeway waste: Dig & Line or Dig and Haul.

MPCA issues Legislative Report admitting “The Minnesota Legislature, concerned about ensuring that risks be addressed effectively at landfills similar to the Freeway Landfill that refuse to enter the CLP, adopted legislative changes in 2017 to give the MPCA additional authority to address environmental concerns at these sites.” In the Report, the MPCA confirmed “Freeway Landfill is currently the only priority qualified facility that is affected by the new legislation.” The MPCA also confirmed the only actions it had taken in the eighteen months following passage of the May 2017 law were against Freeway Landfill.

The City of Burnsville and Kraemer Quarry owners unveil massive mixed-use development plan for McGowan properties predicated on taking over Freeway Landfill & Freeway Dump.

MN legislature passes statute stating MPCA will not pay “Just Compensation” to Freeway Landfill owners, as required by the Federal and state constitutions. It amounts to a constitutional amendment
without going through the legislative process..

MPCA proposed a bill to take over Freeway Landfill and Freeway Dump and allocate  $165 million to initiate “Dig and Haul” plan. Plan expected to take five years to finish.

Freeway Landfill and Freeway Dump continue to pose no risk to local drinking water or environment.