SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The Olmsted County Board is set to review and potentially approve construction contracts totaling just over $10.3 million for a new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) adjacent to the Olmsted County Waste-to-Energy Facility in southeast Rochester.

Funding for the project includes a $10 million appropriation approved during the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature. County officials are seeking approval for three separate contracts, with the largest—approximately $6.6 million—recommended for award to Kraus-Anderson Construction as the general contractor.

In addition, Ryan Mechanical submitted the lowest bid of about $2.1 million for mechanical systems, while staff recommend awarding the electrical systems contract, valued at just under $1.6 million, to McMartin Electric.

According to county officials, the high-tech MRF will use a combination of manual and automated sorting systems to separate recyclable and noncombustible materials from the waste stream. Currently, household recyclables collected locally are transported to a Twin Cities facility for processing.

The new facility is expected to boost recycling rates, improve operational reliability, reduce long-term costs, and extend the lifespan of the county’s Waste-to-Energy operations, delaying the need for expensive future expansions.

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