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ABOUT GREEN NOTES
GreenNotes covers environmental news, programs and events from Hennepin County.
Please take a few moments to read our stories. Share your feedback and ideas for protecting the environment.
Also check out archived issues.
The Hennepin County Environmental Services Department is seeking an Environmental Scientist to join the Contaminated Lands Program and coordinate environmental assessment and remediation activities for county departments. The environmentalist will also provide technical assistance throughout the county regarding environmental contamination issues and county-administered grant programs.
Applications are due by August 12.
See the job posting (click on Environmental Scientist) for more information.
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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On July 16, the Hennepin County Board awarded funding totaling $104,700 to seven projects for the implementation of best management practices that will protect water quality in Hennepin County. The projects, awarded through the Natural Resources Incentives for Critical Habitat (NRICH) program, will help establish 31 rain gardens, stabilize 210 feet of stream banks, install a bio-filtration basin and iron filtration pond outlet system, and create 20 to 40 acres of pervious pavement. Funding was awarded to projects in Independence, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Plymouth, Rockford and Rogers.
The grants will leverage $416,775 from the Clean Water Legacy Fund and $189,863 from local in-kind and cash matches.
For more information, email Jim Kujawa or call 612-348-7338.
The county’s commercial hazardous waste unit recently completed the annual licensing of treatment, storage and disposal facilities located within Hennepin County. These facilities serve an important function in hazardous waste management as they offer disposal options to businesses that generate hazardous wastes. Services that these facilities provide include recycling of electronics, appliances and fluorescent lamps, recovery of precious metals, and waste disposal.
The county currently licenses 29 treatment, storage and disposal facilities, and an additional five facilities applied for a license for the first time in 2013. Licensing and inspecting these facilities helps ensure that they are in compliance with federal, state and local hazardous waste regulations and are operating in a way that protects the environment.
For more information, email Matt Petersen or call 612-348-6026.
 During an all-day tour of Lake Minnetonka on July 11, members of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee learned about Hennepin County's efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species at the county-operated North Arm Public Boat Access.
In 2012, the county installed signage and made infrastructure changes at the access as part of a pilot project to encourage boaters to check for aquatic invasive species. The signage includes clear instructions and flashing red and yellow lights to remind boaters of the actions they need to take. Infrastructe changes include a place to pull over and check boats and a place to compost unwanted bait and weeds.
Observations made prior to and after project installation show that the signage and prompts have been successful in changing behavior.
For more information, email Tony Brough or call 612-348-4378.
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The Hennepin County Board is seeking applicants for two vacancies on the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Board, which coordinates the management of water and related land resources in the watershed. The district includes portions of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield. It is helpful for board members to have a background in water conservation, development, law, engineering, environment or public administration, and members must be a resident of the district. The deadline to apply is August 29. Learn more and apply online.
In the News
 In 2014, the cost to dispose of unwanted paint will shift from counties to manufacturers due to a recently passed product stewardship law that requires the producers of a product to be responsible for recycling or disposal. In addition to helping cover the costs of recycling paint collected at county-operated drop-off facilities, additional paint recycling opportunities at retail locations will likely become available. In 2012, Hennepin County collected 308,900 gallons of paint at drop-off facilities and collection events, which cost the county $742,000 to recycle. Learn more in the Star Tribune.
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Events
 Hennepin County and its partner cities are hosting a series of community collection events for county residents to safely and properly dispose of their unwanted hazardous wastes. The following collects are scheduled:
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- August 15 – 17 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the City of Minneapolis - Public Works Department, 3607 East 44th Street, Minneapolis
- September 12 – 14 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Parking Lot C66, 2904 Fairmount St. SE, Minneapolis
- October 3 – 5 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hennepin County Public Works Orono Shop, 3880 Shoreline Drive, Orono
Materials accepted include household, lawn and garden products, electronics, mercury-containing items and auto wastes. Visit www.hennepin.us/collectionevents for a full list of materials accepted and maps to the event sites.
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Get your stuff fixed for free and learn valuable repair skills at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic.
Gather up your household goods in need of repair and join us on:
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- Saturday, August 10 from noon - 4 p.m. at the Eden Prairie Senior Center
- Saturday, September 14 from noon - 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota ReUse Warehouse
- Saturday, October 12 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the McRae Park Rec Center in Minneapolis
Additional clinics are scheduled monthly through February.
For more information or to volunteer, email Nancy Lo or call 612-348-9195.
Green Tip
National Night Out is a great opportunity to showcase how reducing waste and recycling at events can help protect the environment. Take the following steps to make your National Night Out, coming up on August 6, and other community events low- or no-waste:
- Provide recycling bins. Be sure to clearly label recycling and trash bins – download and print our event recycling signage.
- Collect food waste and food-soiled paper for composting. After the event, bring the organics to the Brooklyn Park Drop-off Facility or coordinate with neighbors who have backyard compost bins.
- Serve beverages in reusable or recyclable containers and use reusable tableware and silverware. If you don’t have enough, ask your neighbors to bring their own.
- Encourage attendees to use local food for potluck items, such as from a farmer's market or their own backyard garden. If you’re providing food, look for local food and avoid wasteful packaging.
- Provide condiments in bulk.
- Use decorations that can be reused. Recycle any banners or signs at the end of the day.
- Reduce paper use by communicating information about your event electronically as much as possible.
- Communicate your efforts to go green to event attendees, and provide information about what they can do. Order environmental factsheets at www.hennepin.us/literatureorderform.
For resources and to learn more about going green at National Night Out and other events, visit www.hennepin.us/eventrecycling and check out RethinkRecycling.com’s information on hosting green block parties.
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