Senator Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul) said today that the Senate has passed his legislation to establish a task force to explore ways to accelerate the clean-up at the Pig’s Eye landfill, and the measure will now be sent to Governor Walz to be signed into law.
Senator Hawj said he pushed the legislation because harmful contaminants in the landfill leak into nearby waterways, including the Mississippi River, and threaten the people and wildlife in the area. The site contains high levels of pollutants, including metals, mercury and PFAS/PFOS. The contaminants, especially PFAS, has impacted wildlife in the area and threaten all downstream communities that rely on the Mississippi River for their water supply.
“For many decades, the city and community have been hoping to get the Pig’s Eye Landfill cleaned up and restored so that it can be turned into a park that can be enjoyed by citizens,” said Senator Hawj. “Now, with my measure set to be signed into law, we can establish a task force made up of representatives from city, county, state and federal agencies and other stakeholders and give them the resources to make that vision a reality. I am pleased to have gotten this bill through both the House and the Senate and onto the Governor’s desk.”
Under Sen. Hawj’s bill, the task force must begin work by October 2022 and report annually on the the task force’s work, with a final report due February 2026.
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