[ANDOVER, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner Laura Bishop, and other local leaders kicked off the environmental cleanup of the Waste Disposal Engineering (WDE) Landfill in Andover, one of the most toxic sites in the state. The site poses a significant environmental risk due to a pit where 6,600 barrels of hazardous waste were disposed of in the 1970s.

This clean-up effort was secured when Governor Walz signed H.F. 80, a bonding bill for critical environmental and infrastructure projects that included the final $10.3 million dollars necessary for the $22.3 million-dollar clean-up project.

“For decades, the WDE Landfill has posed a potential health and safety threat to the community of Andover, with only short-term protection systems in place to prevent devastating contamination,” said Governor Walz. “This year, we made a bipartisan commitment to a long-term solution. We are permanently cleaning up one of the most toxic sites in Minnesota and making sure the people of Andover no longer have to worry about an environmental disaster in their backyard.”

“Cleaning up the hazardous waste at the WDE Landfill is a top priority for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,” said MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop. “This effort has taken many years and extensive partnership with state and local leaders. We are pleased to see this project get underway.”

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