Subdivision 1.Authority; purpose.

The commissioner shall prepare and adopt a report on solid waste management policy and activities under this chapter. The report must be submitted by the commissioner to the senate and house of representatives committees having jurisdiction over environment and natural resources by December 31, 2015, and every four years thereafter and shall include reports required under sections 115A.551, subdivision 4; 115A.557, subdivision 4; 473.149, subdivision 6; 473.846; and 473.848, subdivision 4.

Subd. 2.Contents.

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(a) The report may also include:

(1) a summary of the current status of solid waste management, including the amount of solid waste generated and reduced, the manner in which it is collected, processed, and disposed, the extent of separation, recycling, reuse, and recovery of solid waste, and the facilities available or under development to manage the waste;

(2) an evaluation of the extent and effectiveness of implementation of section 115A.02, including an assessment of progress in accomplishing state policies, goals, and objectives, including those listed in paragraph (b);

(3) identification of issues requiring further research, study, and action, the appropriate scope of the research, study, or action, the state agency or political subdivision that should implement the research, study, or action, and a schedule for completion of the activity;

(4) recommendations for establishing or modifying state solid waste management policies, authorities, responsibilities, and programs; and

(5) a report on progress made toward implementation of the objectives of the metropolitan area solid waste policy plan as required in section 473.149, subdivision 6.

(b) The report must include strategies for:

(1) achieving the maximum feasible reduction in waste generation;

(2) encouraging manufacturers to design products that eliminate or reduce the adverse environmental impacts of resource extraction, manufacturing, use, and waste processing and disposal;

(3) educating businesses, public entities, and other consumers about the need to consider the potential environmental and financial impacts of purchasing products that may create a liability or that may be expensive to recycle or manage as waste, due to the presence of toxic or hazardous components;

(4) eliminating or reducing toxic or hazardous components in compost from municipal solid waste composting facilities, in ash from municipal solid waste incinerators, and in leachate and air emissions from municipal solid waste landfills, in order to reduce the potential liability of waste generators, facility owners and operators, and taxpayers;

(5) encouraging the source separation of materials to the extent practicable, so that the materials are most appropriately managed and to ensure that resources that can be reused or recycled are not disposed of or destroyed; and

(6) maximizing the efficiency of the waste management system by managing waste and recyclables close to the point of generation, taking into account the characteristics of the resources to be recovered from the waste and the type and capacity of local facilities.