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St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declared a state of emergency to ensure trash collection will continue uninterrupted.

FCC Environmental Services will start collecting trash for the majority of St. Paul residential households this week. Carter’s declaration temporarily suspends zoning regulations to allow trash collection while a zoning dispute is settled. 

“Trash collection is not optional,” Carter said Monday. “It’s a basic public service that impacts the health and safety of every single person in our community. This week, over 65,000 St. Paul households are scheduled to have their trash picked up by a new provider. That change must happen on time and without disruption.”

Carter is asking the St. Paul City Council to extend his three-day emergency declaration for 90 days so the city can work through the zoning issues, which center around 560 Randolph Ave., the St. Paul headquarters for FCC Environmental Services.

City officials declared the property compliant with zoning requirements, but an appeal of that decision was approved by City Council, delaying the approval process. 

Nearby residents have expressed concerns about noise, air pollution, traffic congestion and other issues if the facility is allowed on the site near West 7th Street. 

“The proposed trash truck site at 560 Randolph Avenue doesn’t align with our community’s vision for a vibrant and thriving West 7th,” opposing neighbors wrote on a 

community website against the fueling center

. “Moreover, it doesn’t align with decades of city-adopted plans that support this vision and it is in direct contrast to a minimum of 12 policies from the current 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This issue is much bigger than just our neighborhood: when citywide planning and community participation is ignored and disregarded — the future of St. Paul, our riverfront, and West 7th is bleak.”

The headquarters would include a compressed natural gas station for fueling, maintaining, and storing 30 collection trucks. 

The city said it awarded FCC Environmental Services a seven-year contract, which also includes recycling services for 1,770 residential properties with five or more units. 

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Mark Zdechlik

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St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has declared a state of emergency due to a zoning dispute over where St. Paul’s new trash collector can fuel and maintain vehicles.

St. Paul mayor declares state of emergency for trash collection

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