We’re now more than three months past the payment due date for hazardous waste generator licensing and there are still about 200 hazardous waste generators with unpaid invoices. Those generators are operating without a current license and may be subject to additional scrutiny, including site inspections and criminal citations for operating without a license.
Hazardous waste generators may either make an online payment or mail a check to pay their hazardous waste generator license invoice. Instruction links are provided within the invoice itself for making your payments.
Starting with the 2023 license period, invoices for all hazardous waste generators are now sent via email from the email address: noreply@hennepin.us. The invoices, which are a PDF attachment, are emailed to the person identified as the Hazardous Waste Portal Administrator. If you received a PDF copy of your invoice from noreply@hennepin.us, or if you received a past-due payment notification from hwgsupport@hennepin.us, you are already “pre-registered” in Hennepin County's secure online payment system. Please note that the online payment system is not the same as the hazardous waste customer portal where you complete your annual reporting and your inspection response activities.
Regardless of your license status for 2023, if you have not yet completed your registration in the online payment system, we encourage you to open the instruction link below and complete your registration as described on page 4 (Step 1A). Once you have completed your registration and logged into the online payment system, you can view/print the original invoice statement, view payment history, and even apply an electronic payment to an outstanding balance.
License payment instructions and screenshots (PDF).
Need to identify a new billing contact?
If you would like to designate someone else to represent your operation as its billing contact and get them pre-registered, please email hwgsupport@hennepin.us, or call 612-348-3777 and ask for the inspector-on-call. Please provide the following billing contact information:
First and last name, phone number, email address, operation name, address, customer number (if available).
Online payment service fees
The fees associated with your payment will vary depending on which payment type you select:
- No service fee to end user if you select eChecks (best value)
- A flat service fee of $2.95 applies to Visa debit cards (paid by card holder)
- American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards, non-Visa debit cards, and PayPal, will include a 2.29% service fee (paid by card holder)
- Listed below are credit/debit card service fees based on some common invoice amounts:
- $67 payment = added $1.53 service fee
- $268 payment = added $6.14 service fee
- $401 payment = added $9.18 service fee
- No service fee for submitting a physical check for payment
Process
- Visit the Hennepin County online payment system registration page (right click hyperlink and select “Open link in new tab”.)
- If you are pre-registered and need to finish registration to create a password, click “Sign up now”. For questions about registration, review the registration instructions (PDF) (right click hyperlink and select “Open link in new tab”.)
- Once registered, sign into your account using your email address and password.
- If you have registered but forgot your password, select the “Forgot your password?” link and follow the prompts to reset it.
- Select the Make a Payment tile
- Select the Pay Total Balance button or pay by invoice clicking the Select Invoice(s)
- Ensure the Payment Method dropdown is set to “Online Payment”.
- Review your invoice amounts, then click the Next
- Review your payment total, then click the Submit
- Select OK to confirm your payment amount and proceed to payment information.
- Complete the Payment Information and Payment Method
- Select the Continue
- Select the Pay button to complete your transaction.
Note: the Total Amount includes a payment processing fee (Paymentus Fee) when paying by any method other than eCheck.
- Print or save your receipt if desired.
- A payment confirmation will be emailed to you from
HennepinCounty-billpay@paymentus.com.
For large quantity, small quantity and very small quantity hazardous waste generators, annual generator licenses are valid from May 1 of the license year through April 30 of the following year. To be eligible to receive your 2023 Hennepin County hazardous waste generator license, you must submit a hazardous waste management plan summary and pay your license fee.
Generator licenses are created for eligible generators beginning in mid-April. Once your license is created, the person designated as administrator in the hazardous waste portal will be notified via email that your license is available for printing. You must print your license and post it at the licensed site.
The following is a guide to when licenses will be available in 2023, based on when your payment is posted:
- Payment posted on or before March 31: license created mid-April
- Payment posted April 1 to 16: License created first working day in May
- Payment posted April 17 to May 16: License created first working day in June
- Payment posted after May 16: Licenses continue to be created for eligible generators on the first working day of each subsequent month
See licensing schedule and fees for more information about the licensing process.
Hennepin County wants to recognize generators and facilities that have a hazardous waste program that is in full compliance with hazardous waste rules and regulations.
Since November 2022, the county conducted 235 inspections where no violations were observed, and the operations were deemed to have been in full compliance. The listing below shows that it is possible for any size generator or facility to be in full compliance at the time of inspection and it also shows that this happens quite frequently.
Click here for a printable list (PDF) of the generators without a violation. This list also identifies the operation size.
The following is a list of enforcement outcomes from recently resolved civil and criminal cases, including fines and penalties assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) or Hennepin County. All the cases involve hazardous waste generators, hazardous waste facilities or tank operators located in Hennepin County.
This list is intended to reinforce the importance of compliance with hazardous waste and tank regulations.
Consolidated Precisions Products, Bloomington
- Violation: Failure to conduct and document annual LQG personnel training
- Generator size: LQG
- Outcome: $828.00 and corrective actions
Med Tek, Minneapolis
- Violation: Failure to conduct and document weekly inspections
- Generator size: SQG
- Outcome: $578.00 and corrective actions
Northside Garage, Minneapolis
- Violation: Failure to evaluate prior to mingling waste
- Generator size: VSQG
- Outcome: $828.00 and corrective actions
Ozark Automotive Distributors #16, Brooklyn Park
- Violation: Failure to evaluate waste; Failure to update license renewal application; Failure to keep records at the licensed site for three years or make easily available for inspection; Failure to close hazardous waste containers
- Generator size: SQG
- Outcome: $2,078.00 and corrective actions
Specialty Coachworks, Maple Grove
- Violation: Failure to maintain adequate aisle space
- Generator size: VSQG
- Outcome: $278.00 and corrective actions
Vina Auto Body and Repair, Minneapolis
- Violation: Failure to submit management plan summary (MPS license renewal application)
- Generator size: VSQG
- Outcome: $578.00 and corrective actions
Click here for a printable list (PDF) of these enforcement outcomes.
40 CFR 262.24(a)(3) requires that generators' manifest records be "readily available" for viewing and production during hazardous waste inspections. Generators that have registered with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) e-Manifest system may elect to use their account to store and retrieve their manifest copies.
- Electronic manifest users: all manifest copies are available in the system for viewing and inspection.
- Paper manifest users: only the image file of the final manifest copy signed by the receiving facility is uploaded to e-Manifest system, which is then available for registered generators to view and retrieve.
Generators may either print out their final receiving facility manifests so they are readily available or ensure that staff have access to the e-Manifest system so that records can be viewed electronically during an inspection.
How you will receive manifests from receiving facilities
There is a regulatory requirement that facilities that receive hazardous waste return a signed copy of the final manifest to the generator within 30 days of receipt of the waste. If the generator is registered with e-Manifest and uses its account for recordkeeping, then the image file produced from the receiving facility’s final manifest copy is delivered to their account.
Alternatively, the receiving facility may satisfy this requirement by sending the final manifest copy in the mail. Receiving facilities should continue to mail paper copies of manifests to their generator customers, until they have confirmed that the generator is registered and using e-Manifest for recordkeeping. Receiving facilities are responsible for determining whether their generator customers are registered with e-Manifest and using the system for monitoring their manifest records.
Learn more and access the EPA e-manifest system.
 In 2022, Minnesota became the first state to ban the use of Trichloroethylene (TCE) for all businesses requiring an air permit. Known as a powerhouse cleaning agent, TCE is also used in other industrial processes and as an ingredient in some consumer products—but its hazards are now well recognized.
MnTAP has found that a third-party perspective on mitigating the risks associated with cleaning solvents and degreasers, and clear information about alternatives is needed. They created a toolkit that is organized into three themed areas: mitigating business risks, costs and benefits, and converting to aqueous. Each topic area is presented in several formats including an E-guide, slideshow, video, and infographic.
Access the free toolkit.
 Businesses covered under Ordinance 13 must properly label recycling, organics, and trash bins. Find out more about if your business is required to comply with Ordinance 13. Labels must meet certain requirements under the ordinance. Hennepin County offers free labels for bins that meet the required standards. Alternatively, businesses may choose to create and apply their own labels. If your business creates custom labels, they must meet the following minimum requirements:
Recycling: Label title: Recycle or Recycling. A subtitle may be used in addition to the title where appropriate (paper, glass, etc.).
- Label color: Blue
- Label images: Recycling symbol and images or icons of collected items (aluminum, newspaper, etc.).
Trash: Label title: Trash
- Label color: Gray, Black or Red
- Images: Trash labels aren’t required to use images.
Organics: label title: Organics
- Label color: Green
- Images or icons depicting items collected.
A note on background color: The required colors listed above may be used as a label border, or color behind text, icons, and images.
If a business has created their own bin labels, and they would like to verify that labels meet the standards required under Ordinance 13, they may send a digital version of their labels to the Hennepin County business program for review at businessrecycling@hennepin.us.
Apply for a waste prevention grant
Are you a business or nonprofit organization looking to reduce waste? Hennepin County has a grant program to support just that! This year, $300,000 is available to fund projects that focus on waste prevention, including: replacing disposables with reusables, preventing food waste, and supporting innovative waste prevention research and development. Apply for up to $50,000 for your project, with a minimum grant amount of $5,000.
Learn more and apply.
Boost your business’s recycling and organics efforts with free bins and compostable bags
 Hennepin County is offering free resources and support to small businesses and nonprofit organizations to start or enhance their recycling and organic waste recycling programs. Select up to $3,000 worth of containers and compostable bags from the county's product list to help you get started.
Learn more and apply.
Financing available for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at commercial buildings
Commercial buildings can reduce their carbon footprint and improve their bottom line by making energy efficiency upgrades such as new windows, lights, or HVAC systems, or by investing in renewable energy. Hennepin County works with MinnPACE to offer an innovative financing tool that allows property owners to invest in energy efficiency and/or renewable energy upgrades with no upfront costs.
Learn more and get a project started.
Building reuse grant funding
 Hennepin County has funding available for the following projects that reuse and recycle building materials:
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Commercial deconstruction grants: Funding for commercial properties, including multifamily apartment buildings over four units, to deconstruct building materials for reuse. See the commercial deconstruction flyer (PDF) for more information.
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Structural move grants: Funding to physically relocate a building to another location, avoiding demolition waste and preserving the cultural and historical integrity of the building. See the structural move flyer (PDF) for more information.
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Used building material installation grants: A new grant to “close the loop” by funding remodeling, renovation, and new construction projects that incorporate used building materials into project designs. See the used building material installation flyer (PDF) for more information.
Learn more and apply.
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