Moccasin Landfill Closure: community members invited to learn about potential waste reduction initiatives specific to Cook County
Mar 20, 2024 08:26AM ● By Content Editor
Image: UMN Extension NE RSDP
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - March 20, 2024
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Northeast Communities Recycling and Composting Collaborative (which was created by the UMN Extension Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Department (RSDP)) will host a public meeting via Zoom to discuss potential community-wide solutions that address the Moccasin Mike landfill closure.
The landfill, which serves a vast region that consists of the North Shore, the City of Superior, WI, portions of Douglas County, and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (which includes the Greater Duluth area and Carlton County), is slated to close in 2026 due to being at capacity with no room for expansion. In addition, regulatory hurdles, community opposition, limited lifespan, and environmental concerns are just some of the reasons finding a new landfill isn't the most feasible or economical option. Instead, RSDP is working with local communities impacted by the closure on reducing waste and exploring ways to increase composting and recycling.
Throughout 2024, RSDP has been working to collect information and work with the community to find potential solutions. One way was by conducting a community-wide survey in February, which collected information about recycling and composting habits of individuals. A second way was by holding community meetings throughout Lake and Cook Counties. The meetings provided a space for community members to brainstorm ideal recycling, composting, and waste reduction initiatives and share potential challenges. Data, feedback, and ideas collected from surveys and community meetings were analyzed by the RSP
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Northeast Communities Recycling and Composting Collaborative, created by the UMN Extension Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Department (RSDP), will hold a public Zoom meeting to discuss potential community-wide solutions for the Moccasin Mike landfill closure.
The Zoom meeting mentioned above is where the RSDP team will present their findings and discuss potential solutions with the public which, according to the RSDP include:
Once potential solutions are presented, the RSDP will assist community members interested in bringing those possibilities forward with finding funding and other resources.
All community members are invited to the meeting, including those who weren't able to take the survey or attend one of the community meetings.
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - March 20, 2024
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Northeast Communities Recycling and Composting Collaborative (which was created by the UMN Extension Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Department (RSDP)) will host a public meeting via Zoom to discuss potential community-wide solutions that address the Moccasin Mike landfill closure.
The landfill, which serves a vast region that consists of the North Shore, the City of Superior, WI, portions of Douglas County, and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (which includes the Greater Duluth area and Carlton County), is slated to close in 2026 due to being at capacity with no room for expansion. In addition, regulatory hurdles, community opposition, limited lifespan, and environmental concerns are just some of the reasons finding a new landfill isn't the most feasible or economical option. Instead, RSDP is working with local communities impacted by the closure on reducing waste and exploring ways to increase composting and recycling.
Throughout 2024, RSDP has been working to collect information and work with the community to find potential solutions. One way was by conducting a community-wide survey in February, which collected information about recycling and composting habits of individuals. A second way was by holding community meetings throughout Lake and Cook Counties. The meetings provided a space for community members to brainstorm ideal recycling, composting, and waste reduction initiatives and share potential challenges. Data, feedback, and ideas collected from surveys and community meetings were analyzed by the RSP
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Northeast Communities Recycling and Composting Collaborative, created by the UMN Extension Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Department (RSDP), will hold a public Zoom meeting to discuss potential community-wide solutions for the Moccasin Mike landfill closure.
The landfill serves a vast region, including the North Shore, the City of Superior, WI, parts of Douglas County, and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, which includes the Greater Duluth area and Carlton County. Due to capacity being reached, the landfill is scheduled to close in 2026. Finding a new landfill isn't the most feasible or economical option due to regulatory hurdles, community opposition, limited lifespan, and environmental concerns. Instead, RSDP is working with local communities impacted by the closure on reducing waste and exploring ways to increase composting and recycling.
Throughout 2024, RSDP has been collecting information and working with the community to find potential solutions. One way was by conducting a community-wide survey in February to collect information about individuals' recycling and composting habits. A second way was by holding community meetings throughout Lake and Cook Counties. The meetings provided a space for community members to brainstorm ideal recycling, composting, and waste reduction initiatives and share potential challenges. Data, feedback, and ideas collected from surveys and community meetings were analyzed by the RSDP team to create site-specific solutions for reducing waste.
- "Scenarios for Each Community: We will present various scenarios with specific considerations, needs, challenges, and recyclable/compostable yields of several communities. These scenarios aim to explore potential strategies for enhancing recycling and composting initiatives in our respective areas.
Survey Results: We will share the results of the recent survey conducted within our communities regarding recycling and composting practices.
Feedback from Community Meetings: We will provide a summary of the feedback received during our previous community meetings held in February. Your input has been crucial in guiding our collaborative efforts, and we will discuss how we plan to address the concerns and suggestions raised."
Once potential solutions are presented, the RSDP will assist community members interested in bringing those possibilities forward with finding funding and other resources.
All community members are invited to the meeting, including those who weren't able to take the survey or attend one of the community meetings.
Date: March 20th, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: https://umn.zoom.us/j/99402990642
Meeting ID: 994 0299 0642
