St. Louis County is leading the state and the nation in implementing geothermal technology and the treatment of harmful chemicals at its regional landfill in Virginia. A 10-acre geothermal landfill cell that generates energy from disposed municipal solid waste is the first of its kind in Minnesota, Dave Fink, St. Louis County Environmental Services director said.
That, coupled with a new system being developed to treat harmful chemicals such as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), puts St. Louis County at the forefront of cutting edge state and national wastewater treatment clean-up. 鈥淭his is a commitment to the cleaning up of wastewater in northeastern Minnesota,鈥� St. Louis County Sixth District Commissioner Keith Nelson, chair of the county board and chair of the county鈥檚 Solid Waste Committee said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, the water at the landfill will be cleaner than the water that falls on the landfill.鈥�
After construction on the geothermal cell is completed, the county will begin depositing municipal solid waste into the cell. 鈥淓verybody involved is pretty excited about it including our regulator, our commissioners, as well as our consultants,鈥� Fink said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking at actually utilizing this on a national stage in looking at what we鈥檙e doing at our relatively tiny landfill here in northern Minnesota.鈥�