North Shore Waste continues effort to improve transfer station in Cook County
North Shore Waste is looking for a more efficient way to handle waste management in Cook County.
As part of the effort, the local waste management company is looking to build a new waste transfer station. The site is located near the eastern edge of city limits in Grand Marais. Public dollars are being sought as part of the effort to build the new transfer station, according to Rena Rogers, a spokesperson for North Shore Waste. Included in the effort is a $2 million request to the Minnesota Management and Budget Office.
North Shore Waste co-owner Dustin Hanson said the new transfer station will make the process of transferring solid waste garbage from Cook County to Duluth more efficient. It will also be greener. Included in the facility design plan are a collection solar panels. The facility will also include chargers to support a fleet of electric garbage trucks the company plans to purchase in the coming years, both large trucks and smaller pickups. Also included in the plan is a composting system at the indoor facility and transfer station. The composting system would help eliminate the amount of waste that needs to be transferred from Cook County to a dump site in the Duluth area.
The history of waste management in Cook County is complex and can be a heated topic when viewed through a historical lens. The history dates back decades and includes issues with bears, shuttered landfills, and great costs associated with transferring garbage down the North Shore.
Hanson said the transfer station on the 11 acres adjacent to the current transfer station remains a top priority for officials at North Shore Waste. It also has the support of the county board. The Cook County Commissioners approved a resolution during a meeting August 22 in support of the $2-million request from the state.
WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Rogers about the future of the transfer station and other news from North Shore Waste. Audio below.
Joe Friedrichs August 28, 2023
