By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

On March 10, county commissioners voted unanimously to support a state bonding request of up to $7.3 million. The funding, through the Capital Assistance Program (CAP), would help build a permanent ash processing facility and modernize the region’s solid waste transfer station.

“Every year, thousands of tons of ash get buried in the ground. Otter Tail County wants to change that by turning the ash into stronger roads and recovering metals that would otherwise be lost forever,” said Chris McConn, county solid waste director.

McConn explained that when waste is burned, it leaves behind ash. That ash can be processed and used as base material under roads, making them stronger and more durable. 

“Recycling the ash puts a useful material to work instead of wasting it,” McConn said. “The ash also contains metals. Through a process called ash mining, those metals can be recovered and recycled. Without a processing facility, those metals stay buried and are gone for good.”

McConn emphasizes that landfills are running out of room

The Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority (PLMSWA) buries 10,000 to 11,000 tons of ash in landfills each year. PLMSWA is a five-county partnership that includes Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Todd, and Wadena counties. 

“Together, the group manages about 54,000 tons of waste per year and works to keep as much as possible out of the ground,” McConn said. “This project has been in the works for many years and backed by careful research, engineering review and pilot testing.”