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Another important role of the master plan has been to address various risks. At its core, many of the changes in solid waste management over the past thirty years have been aimed at reducing risk to public health, safety and the environment. For example, the County's solid -waste plans have established policies, regulations, and services to reduce the hazardous character of waste. There is now significantly less hazardous waste in mixed municipal solid waste than there was in the past. This reduces a variety of risks, especially occupational health risks to waste - industry workers, property damage risks to waste - industry equipment, environmental risks related to disposal of waste, and health risks associated with environmental emissions. The master plans have also addressed economic risks. Policies that assure markets for recyclables, delivery of waste to the resource recovery facility, and stable sources of recycling funding have assured that the system is financially stable. Further, the system as developed has reduced environmental liability risks for business and government in Ramsey County. While often overlooked as a benefit of solid -waste planning, this liability reduction is a hidden economic development tool that has saved millions of dollars over thirty years. (Recall that the cost of cleaning up closed old landfills in Minnesota is over half a billion dollars.) In sum, the 20 -year Ramsey County Solid Waste Management Plan is an important tool to protect public health and the environment, to reduce a variety of risks, and to stabilize the economics of waste management for residents and businesses. Looking Ahead The Policy Plan is neither law nor rule, but is established in Minnesota statute to guide system development. Within the Policy Plan are a number of requirements that county master plans must meet. Some key issues include: • Regional Governance: The Policy Plan states that the MPCA and SWMCB will evaluate ways in which solid waste is currently governed to determine if and what changes are needed. The Plan goes on to outline key issues to be included in a regional governance study. • Greenhouse Gas Reductions: Even though not required in Minnesota statute, the MPCA included reductions of greenhouse gases associated with waste management in the development of the plan. • The Policy Plan sets specific quantifiable objectives to reduce land disposal of waste through 2030. The objectives are provided in five -year increments beginning in 2015, and include objectives for source reduction, recycling, organics recovery, resource recovery, and landfilling. Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan 2011 -2030 Page 13 Approved by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on 3120112