Recent News

SWANA Board Members - Terese Bordeau and Sonya Betker - featured in MSW Management:

Anika Hager Anika Hager

Now Available: Industrial Hand Sanitizer

Diesel Force (TM) is now offering ethanol-based industrial strength hand sanitizer to help prevent the spread of illness during these unprecedented times.

Ethanol-based Industrial Hand Sanitizer is not only effective at killing germs on hands, but also the following surfaces in your vehicles:

• Soft Surfaces (cloth, vinyl, leather* and non-wovens)

• Deco Trims

• Chromed Accents

• Controls: e.g. Knobs and Buttons

• A/B Pillars

• Non-leather Steering Wheels

• Plastic Grab Handles

• Painted or Enameled Metal Surfaces: e.g. Exterior Door Handles

• Unpainted Metal Surfaces: e.g. Exterior Metal Grab Handles

• Exterior Decals: e.g. Window Blackout Film

See flyer for more information

Diesel Force Website

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Anika Hager Anika Hager

COVID-19: Updated Resources from the Minnesota SWANA Chapter

The Minnesota SWANA Chapter would like to provide the following information to our members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Minnesota Governor’s Executive Order 20-20 solid waste and recycling are considered essential services. Although essential, many waste and recycling businesses are making changes to hours or levels of service due to conditions resulting from the pandemic.  Clear communications between service providers, customers and business partners are important to ensure these services continue in a safe and efficient manner. 

In spirit of the order, many companies are limiting social interactions among staff and with customers, including curtailing curbside pick-up of bulky items, having drivers stay in collection vehicles, and requesting customers to deposit containers and waste in designated locations outside of buildings and storage rooms.

The State of Minnesota has two important timely updates that we want our members to be aware of. The exact language is provided below. 

  • MPCA and MDH have scheduled a webinar for solid waste and Covid-19 for Wednesday April 8. The registration link is provided below. 

  • MPCA is offering regulatory relief to regulated parties. If you need regulatory relief due to impacts of COVID-19 follow the guidance document provided below from the MPCA. All requests must go through the e-mail provided in the document.

The Minnesota SWANA Chapter hopes that you and your families are staying safe and taking care of each other. 

Webinar: Solid waste industry best practices for safety during the COVID-19 outbreak

Host: MPCA C & D Staff

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Time: 3:00 pm | Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00) | 1 hr

MPCA Guidance Document

With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID 19) and the Governor’s declaration of a state of peacetime emergency in Minnesota, The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is aware that regulated entities may be impacted from a reduced workforce necessary to maintain normal operations at some facilities. All regulated entities remain obligated to take all available actions necessary to ensure compliance with environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Minnesota and the environment. However, in the instance where regulated entities will have an unavoidable noncompliance situation, directly due to impact from the coronavirus, the MPCA has established an email box to accept requests for the Commissioner of the MPCA to consider providing regulatory flexibility, where possible, to assist entities in alternative approaches to maintaining compliance, such as extending reporting deadlines, extensions of operator certifications and other forms of regulatory relief.

 

Regulated entities should email MPCA.COVID19REGFLEX@state.mn.us with specific information related to a request for regulatory flexibility. This email box will be monitored daily and the MPCA will work diligently to expeditiously review and respond to incoming requests from regulated entities. MPCA approval is required prior to implementing alternative measures. The email should at a minimum include the following:

 

·    Requests should come from an individual party (company/county/individual) and identify the party requesting the relief by name and applicable permit number;

·    Requests should include a phone number(s) of the individual to contact regarding the Request;

·    Request should state what specific statute/rule/permit condition the individual party is looking for relief from;

·    Request should include the reasoning/rationale for the request (1 paragraph summary on why the peacetime emergency makes the relief sought necessary and what actions the requestor took prior to the request to meet the requirement);

·    Request should include bulleted points of what measures will be taken to mitigate/minimize the potential environmental impacts (if any); and

·    Request should specify the specific time period that the request is for including the rationale.

 

Where alternative compliance options are authorized by the MPCA, regulated entities must maintain records adequate to document implementation of authorized alternative compliance options, and activities related to the noncompliance. 

 

The MPCA will work as quickly as possible with an individual party on a solution in response to the request. Requests can be amended by sending another e-mail if something has been approved for a specific time period and that time period needs to be extended or if a change to approved compliance options is needed. Again, the reason for the extension should be included. If the MPCA receives multiple requests for regulatory flexibility from a specific requirement and the MPCA determines it is appropriate across a specific sector, the MPCA may grant the specific sector flexibility for that requirement.  

 

Any questions regarding this guidance should be submitted to: MPCA.COVID19REGFLEX@state.mn.us

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