Environmental Services

Steve Skoog - Administrator

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The Environmental Services Department provides residents of Becker County with cost effective, environmentally sound solid waste management within the confines of the EPA (Environmental Protections Agency - Federal) and MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - State) rules and guidelines.

The Director of the department is an appointed position. Six people staff the department with various cross training and responsibilities. There are four MPCA Certified landfill operators, three are staffing the Transfer Station. Two staff are fully Household Hazardous trained and one other has partial training. The Central Office staff is trained to answer questions on the telephone regarding Solid Waste issues, Recycling questions and Household Hazardous Waste disposal. The staff can and will do on-site inspections and assessments dealing with recycling, source reduction and problem solid waste issues.

The budget for the department is an enterprise fund with only part of the funds collected from the taxes. Those funds from the taxes are used for the Corrective Actions Remediation Measures at the closed MSW Landfill. The other sources of Revenue come from: a) money generated from volume based tipping fees at the Transfer Station; b) a SCORE Grant for the State of Minnesota (recycling); and c) a Household Hazardous Waste Grant from the State of Minnesota.

Expenses include: a) transportation and final disposal of Solid Wastes from Becker County; b) education programs in Recycling, Source Reduction and Household Hazardous Wastes; c) collection and transportation of Recyclable; d) managing Problem Materials (tires, appliance - i.e. refrigerators); e) collection, management, transportation and disposal of Household Hazardous Wastes; and f) corrective actions on tax forfeited properties.

The department manages:

1. The Becker County Transfer Station and Demolition Landfill.
2. The countywide Recycling Program with its subparts of education, source reduction, grant administration and recyclable collection.
3. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility in Detroit Lakes. The Regional Household Hazardous Waste Coordinator is part of the department's staff. This position coordinates activities in a 6 county area.
4. The Corrective Actions and Remediation Measures at the closed, capped Mixed Solid Waste Landfill located on the same property as the Transfer Station.
5. Administration and oversight of the Solid Waste Special Assessment applied to the property tax statements.
6. In cooperation with the County Extension Service coordinates and helps with the collection of waste pesticides and waste pesticide containers.
7. In cooperation with the Natural Resources Management Department, coordinates the cleanup and remediation of leaking underground storage tanks and tax forfeited lands.