Environmental Services Department
20 2nd Street SE
Ortonville, MN 56278
Phone: 320-839-6376
Fax:
320-839-6370
Staff
Darren Wilke, Environmental
Officer
Darren_w@co.big-stone.mn.us
Ronda Maas, Deputy
ronda_m@co.big-stone.mn.us
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About the Environmental Services
Department
The Environmental Services Department is responsible
for administering plans and ordinances relating to planning and zoning, solid
waste management, comprehensive local water planning and feedlot
management. In addition to these local controls,
the Environmental Services Department is also responsible for permitting and
enforcement programs of the State’s individual septic treatment system program
and the feedlot program. The
department’s overall mission in administering these programs is to protect the
public’s health, safety and welfare.
Planning and Zoning
The purpose of planning and
zoning is to provide for orderly land use development that minimizes conflicts
and reduces impacts to local resources. The Comprehensive Plan, revised in 2002, lays out policies
that will guide future land use decisions. The County Planning Commission is
responsible for adopting the Comprehensive Plan and for reviewing conditional
use permits, subdivisions, ordinance amendments and zoning classification
amendment proposals. They recommend actions to the
County Board
for final approval. The
Land and Related Resources
Management Ordinance
is the tool used to reach the goals established in that plan. This ordinance
lays out which activities can occur in certain areas or zoning districts, as
shown on the Official Zoning Map. Big Stone County is laid out into the following
zones: A-1 Agricultural District; A-2 Agricultural District; OS Open Space
District; UD Urban District (Residential); C-1 Commercial; I-1 Industrial; and
the Shoreland Management Zone.
Amendments to the Land and
Related Resources Management Ordinance were recorded in 2005 and 2007 to
address tree plantings and
additions on
existing residential structures.
There currently seems to be
a movement toward renewable energy sources in our area, therefore the County
Board
chose to take a proactive approach by adopting the Big Stone County Wind Power Management Ordinance on Dec. 6, 2006 which outlines our
objectives for wind developers.
Solid Waste
The Solid Waste Management
Plan required by the State, plans management strategies and budget needs to
insure proper management. One tool used
for management is the county’s
Solid Waste Management Ordinance which regulates residential and
commercial garbage disposal, recycling and household hazardous waste. In 2003, the
County Board
re-instated an annual solid waste assessment of $35 per parcel having over
$1000 of building value. This fund
enables the county to provide free recycling services as well as special
collections for problem materials such as Household Hazardous Waste, used oil
and filters, fluorescent bulbs, appliances and electronics.
Solid
waste collection rates and haulers vary depending on the municipality you
reside in. Rural residents can choose one of three options for their solid
waste;
1)
haul
trash to the solid waste transfer station operated by Waste Management of
Central Minnesota and located on Hwy 75 North in Ortonville, MN, or
2)
contract
individually with a licensed trash hauler for pick up, or
3)
dispose
of household generated waste (other than recyclables and hazardous waste)
on-site.
(This
option is not recommended for pollution reasons.)
Recycling in
Big Stone
County is also handled by Waste
Management of Central Minnesota. They
are contracted by the county to collect and process recyclables. In October, 2008, they switched over to a
“single-stream” recycling program which means that sorting is no longer
necessary since it is mechanically sorted at the Material Recovery Facility in
the Twin Cities. Waste Management
provides 96 gallon roll-out totes to curbside residents in all the
municipalities except Barry and pick up every other week as indicated by the
gold weeks on the 2009 Curbside
Collection Schedule.
Totes are also provided at a drop-off site in each of the municipalities
for rural county residents who don’t have access to curbside service. The County also contracts with Waste
Management for commercial recycling services.
Any business interested in utilizing this service should contact the
regional representative from Waste Management at 763-780-6418. Click here
to see a list of Acceptable
Items,
residential and commercial recycling route schedules and a list of Drop Site
locations in each municipality.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is managed through special
collections here in the county or residents can dispose of HHW at the regional
facility located at 1400 SW 2nd Street in
Willmar.
Collection sites vary from year to year and are advertised in local papers.
Used oil and oil filters can be disposed of free of charge at the County
Highway Garage in Ortonville Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4
p.m. The Highway Garage is located at 437
Minnesota St. across from the athletic fields. Fluorescent bulbs are also collected
anytime during office hours in the Environmental Office however, a nominal fee
based on state contract prices is charged for handling and disposal. For
answers to other questions relating to your solid waste management needs please
call our office at 839-6376.
Water Planning
Big
Stone County
adopted its first Comprehensive Local Water Plan in 1991. An update was
completed according to State requirements in 1995 and most recently in 2003.
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) provides an annual
Natural Resource Block Grant that allocates funds for administering the local
water plan and to implement projects and programs that improve water quality. The
grant is further subdivided into five categories that more specifically target
water quality issues: 1) Feedlots, 2)
Shoreland, 3) Sub-surface sewage
treatment systems, 4) Water Planning and
the 5) the Wetland Conservation Act.
Water Planning receives the largest portion of the grant at $2068; $10,000 is
allocated to the administration of the Wetland Conservation Act, $3065 for
shoreland management, $10,000 for Sub-surface sewer treatment enforcement and
administration, and $7999 for the administration of the feedlot program. A local water plan committee consisting of
farmers, citizens, state and local agencies and county commissioners, among
others approves projects and expenditures within the Water Plan budget. Projects vary with some of the on-going
projects being well-sealing cost share, support of the Ortonville fourth grade
class wetland restoration project, and rural drinking water well testing for
coliform and nitrates conducted by the Ortonville High School students. For
more information on the local water planning program or to become involved
please call our office. Click here to view the Big Stone County Water Plan.
Feedlot Management
Big
Stone County
has been delegated by the State to permit feedlot activities since 1995. In
1996, the county adopted it's first feedlot ordinance to deal with certain
aspects that are beyond the scope of the state rules (setbacks, conditional use
requirements and allowable animal units per quarter). On October 23, 2000 the
state rules were revised and then in 2003,
Big Stone
County also updated their local
ordinance. Click here to view the BSC Animal Feedlot Ordinance, 2003. One of
Minnesota's most substantial changes
requires that all feedlot owners or operators register sites over 50 animal
units with a delegated county or with the state. The registration deadline was
January 1, 2002. Click here for the feedlot registration form which has an animal unit conversion
chart on the last page. Operators over 1000 animal units are also required to
apply for a NPDES permit. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) permits
feedlots over 1000 animal units. Go to www.pca.state.mn.us/hot/feedlots.html for other facts and information
regarding feedlot regulations or to review the newly revised rule. There
is no fee for registering and the operator will be walked through all the
necessary permit applications. Please call our office with specific
questions in regard to your operation.
Big Stone County wants to
ensure that citizens are aware that:
- The legislature provides
funds to counties to implement state feedlot regulations and that the amount
is primarily based on the number of feedlots in the county.
- The posted reports show
the amount and kind of work that was done as well as the cost to perform the
work.
- The County Feedlot Officer
(CFO) should be contacted if there is interest in additional details.
The following reports are
available for viewing:
Big Stone County's 2009
Annual CFO and Performance Credit Report
Big Stone County's
feedlot portion of the 2009 NRBG Summary Report
Shoreland Management
In 1993,
Big Stone
County adopted its first
Shoreland
Management Ordinance. This ordinance
governs all land uses within 1000 feet of a lake or 300 feet from a river or
stream. This includes all bodies of water
as listed on the DNR’s Protected Waters Map.
Lakes are one of Minnesota’s
greatest resources and if gone unprotected and left to be overdeveloped they
will quickly degenerate. The ordinance
lays out development densities, minimum lot sizes, structure and sewage
treatment setbacks and vegetation removal limitations. The purpose of the ordinance is to provide
for wise land use and development practices to protect water quality, wildlife
habitat, fishery potential and aesthetics.
The county works diligently with the Department of Natural Resources to
preserve the county’s relatively undeveloped and natural state of its
shorelines. By doing this, the economic
and natural environmental values of our county’s shorelands can be
preserved. For questions pertaining to
development of your lake lot or other questions pertaining to shorelands give
our office a call.
Floodplain
Management
Some areas in shoreland
zones also fall under regulations of the Floodplain Management Ordinance. The purpose of this ordinance is
to minimize the potential for loss of life and property in flood prone areas by
limiting placement of residences and structures in those areas. New structures
or additions built must be at least one foot above the regulatory floodplain elevation.
By enforcing floodplain regulations, county residents are able to participate
in the Federal Flood Insurance Program.
Because Big
Stone Lake
exceeded the 100 yr. flood elevation in both 1997 and 2001, FEMA re-evaluated Big Stone
County floodplains and
published new floodplain maps in April, 2006.
Septic Systems
The county has regulated
individual septic treatment systems for years.
In 1996, the State required that all septic systems designers,
installers and pumpers become licensed and counties adopt a Septic Treatment
Ordinance based on MN Rules Chapter 7080.
The county issues permits based on a design submitted by a licensed
designer. If the design is legal a
permit is issued and installation may occur.
Final inspections are done by the county to insure installation is done
according to the design. Inspections are
also done if complaints are registered on suspected failing systems that may be
causing an imminent public health threat.
Sellers must also provide inspections by a licensed inspector to buyers
prior to the transfer of property in the county. Certain exemptions apply to
property transfer inspections. The
county regulates all septic systems in the county, including those within city
limits. Contact a
licensed designer, installer or pumper from the
area or contact our office with further questions.
Fee Structure and Permits
Required
In accordance with Big Stone County
Ordinances, permits are required outside the corporate limits of municipalities
for:
- All new construction;
- All structures moved and all
structures replaced;
- all individual on-site sewage
treatment systems; and
- Excavations in excess of fifty
cubic yards or ten cubic yards in shoreland areas;
The fee schedule is:
Please obtain all permits from the Environmental Office at 20 SE 2nd Street,
Ortonville, MN 56278. Copies of Big Stone County Ordinances are
available for public inspection at the above office or can be purchased for a
fee of $10.00 each, or $.50/page, whichever is greater.