[See HERC page of this website for the plan itself.]

o       Hennepin County is NOT, of course, a “national leader in waste reduction, recycling and composting.”  Rather it is effectively a subsidiary of big transnational incinerator operator Covanta.

o       The Master Plan is based primarily on incineration.

o       No alternative scenarios were presented for consideration by the public.

o       The Hennepin County recycling rate is below, or no better than, the average for Minnesota counties.

o       Not a word, not a particle, of the so-called “education and outreach” mentions incineration, let alone asks people whether they want their garbage burned into health-damaging pollution.

ACTION ITEMS:

Ask the Hennepin County Board to extend public comment on the Master Garbage Plan for at least 60 days.

Ask the Hennepin County Board to present a non-incineration alternative for public consideration.  [See HERC page for email addresses & phone #'s of Henn Co Commissioners.]

             Click on:  HERC YouTube

             Representative Hornstein has been a staunch opponent of garbage incineration for many years and has played an important role in fighting the proposed increase in burning capacity for the HERC from 1000 tons to 1200 tons of mixed garbage per day.

             Lara Norkus-Crampton served on the Planning Commission when the permit for the proposed expansion was denied in 2009.  Covanta appealed this decision to the City Council but has not provided the needed data to challenge the decision of the Planning Commission.  The Appeal is currently being reviewed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to determine if a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be required.

In 2002, the MPCA stated the HERC was the largest source of dioxins in the state.  To date there have been no comprehensive, independent, third party environmental studies since the original EIS done in 1986–conducted before the burner was even in operation.

A full assessment of the environmental and public health impacts of 20+ years of burning 1000 tons of garbage per day at this facility should be required by the MPCA before an additional 200 tons per day is considered.  The Minneapolis City Council is charged with making the final determination on this Appeal.

      Why are we burning recyclables?  Why are we burning garbage from outside of Minneapolis?  What is coming out of those stacks anyway?  Why have we been living with a garbage burner belching emissions in the middle of Downtown Minneapolis for the past 25 years?  What is the effect on the public health of our citizens–especially our children?  Is there a better way to manage our solid waste?  These are some of the questions explored in the interview.

For details, click here.

And they say the technology is so inexpensive it could rival oil. . . .”

To read entire article, click on:   Could New Solar Power Technology Power Rival Oil?

South Washington County Bulletin, by John Avise, June 2, 2010.

Green signs are popping up around Cottage Grove as a citizens group continues its fight against a 3M proposal they say will cause environmental harm in the city.  Signs protesting the 3M plan to burn hazardous waste from outside the company at its Cottage Grove incinerator have begun sprouting up on lawns across town — and appearing in the hands of demonstrators — as company officials and city leaders try to hash out an agreement on air monitoring.

For full article, click here.