A semi-load of municipal solid waste delivered to the Dakota Landfill in Gwinner, North Dakota, was flagged in a routine waste screening process for suspected hazardous medical waste. The waste load came from the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Transfer Station located at 275 Airport Road in Fergus Falls. The load was returned to the Transfer Station for further review. On October 8, 2024, with the assistance of trained health and safety specialists, including the Fergus Falls Fire Department, State Fire Marshall and Minnesota Hazardous Materials Response Team, the trailer was partially unloaded. One bag weighing less than 20 pounds containing non-hazardous medical waste was identified. Based on today’s evaluation, the public and county staff are not at risk. Based on conversations with landfill representatives, the county anticipates that today’s characterization of the waste will make it suitable for disposal. The County Solid Waste Department will review today’s incident to consider educational opportunities with local medical service providers to properly document hazardous and non-hazardous medical waste.
