" . . . The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is requiring a new environmental review of Hennepin County's plans . . . "
See full article at Twin Cities Daily Planet, by Chris Steller, 1/17/2010.
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE -- 11/24/09 Press Release Re: HERC Expansion
State Representatives Frank Hornstein, Jean Wagenius & Jim Davnie released the following statement on November 24, 2009:
LEGISLATORS, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS APPLAUD PCA DENIAL OF GARBAGE BURNER PERMIT AMENDMENT
Minneapolis legislators and several environmental organizations applauded the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's denial of an administrative amendment to expand the Hennepin County downtown garbage incinerator. * * *
[For full statement, see Press Release.]
POWERFUL NAB POWERPOINT--Just the facts, ma'am!
NAB was prepared to present their powerful, new powerpoint about HERC pollution at the July 23rd hearing. Since Covanta requested the meeting be postponed, City Council Members on the Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee were left with paper copies of this powerpoint. We would like to share the results of our research with you . . .
Our neighbor-'hoods have been "green-winked"!
Slide #29: HERC Dioxin Emissions
In 2002, the HERC self-reported emitting 51.89% of all 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin -- the most toxic of this family of chemicals -- reported emitted in Minnesota.
Just like that - bam! The public has been "green-boozled"!
Slide #32: HERC Violation History
Fined $22,000 in 2001—excess hydrochloric acid emissions
Fined $15,000 in 2002—excessive mercury emissions
MPCA issued a Letter of Warning in January 2003
Fined $4200 in 2004—operators lack required certification, etc.
Click here to see the entire presentation.
COVANTA'S BAD REP FOLLOWS IT EVERYWHERE!
See this YouTube from folks in Elbert County, GA.
Fairfield-based Covanta Sued for Pollution by Connecticut Attorney General, nj.com.business, August 24, 2010.
HERC Documents
Permit Application of 11/03/09
MINNEAPOLIS NEIGHBORS FOR CLEAN AIR FILES REQUEST FOR EAW
On August 5, 2009, MNCA (Minneapolis Neighbors for Clean Air) filed a petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the HERC garbage incinerator with the Minnesota Enviromental Quality Board. For text of the cover letter, click here.
LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AGAINST HERC EXPANSION
Climate Crisis Coalition of the Twin Cities sent a superb document to Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee members. Some quotes: "The reality is that per megawatt hour, incinerators emit more CO2 than any fossil-fuel based electricity source." "Rubbish burners are the leading global source of dioxins and actually help to create more of them." "Exposure to contaminants has ignited an autoimmune epidemic that affects 23.5 million Americans." ". . . we must reduce, restore, reuse and recycle at the point of production and glean materials from landfills."
Click here to read the complete document.
Eureka Recyling, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Linden Hills Power and Light, Women's Environmental Initiative, Will Steger Foundation & Sierra Club North Star Chapter have also sent a powerful letter to the Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee members. Some quotes: "Recycling & composting create more jobs than disposal & these jobs are green jobs that protect the environment. Furthermore, waste reduction strategies like recycling & composting are cheaper than incineration." "Disposal has been subsidized for years, particularly incineration in Minnesota, hiding the real costs of dispoal & funneling money to dirty technology."
Click here to read the entire letter.
COVANTA REQUESTS HERC EXPANSION DECISION BE POSTPONED!
On July 23, 2009, the Minneapolis Council Committee on Zoning & Planning met to decide whether to approve the HERC expansion requests of Covanta Energy to burn 21% more garbage. When the agenda item came up, Kim Holien, Minnneapolis City Planner, told the Committee that Covanta had requested a postponement of the hearing. Covanta stated that they would voluntarily undergo a review by the EQB (Enviromental Quality Board) which could determine whether either an EAW (Enviromental Assessment Worksheet) or EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) should be performed by the MPCA (Mn Pollution Control Agency).
Chairman Gary Schiff granted the delay for at least two weeks, if not longer. Council Member Remington warned Covanta that even if an EAW or EIS is not required by the EQB, Covanta had better seriously consider undergoing such a review if they expected to get this Committee's approval to expand burning at the HERC.
Neighbors Against the Burner and other community voices were prepared to testify but will be watching carefully for the next meeting of the Zoning & Planning Committee so that they can share their strong opposition to HERC expansion with the Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact two important public leaders -- Mayor Rybak (612-673-2100 or rt@minneapolis.org) & your Council member as soon as possible (keeping in mind the July 23rd hearing has been held over & is yet to take place) & let them know that you do NOT approve of allowing the HERC to increase their amount of garbage burned by 21%. According to the HERC air permit (expired since 2003, http://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/permits/issued/05300400-003-aqpermit.pdf ), this burner is allowed to send over 2.9 million pounds per year of health-damaging pollutants up these smokestacks. This includes 2200 pounds of lead and 360 pounds of mercury. For 2002, the burner operators reported actual emissions of over one million pounds.
Covanta is asking to burn an average of 212 more tons of garbage a day at the HERC plant. The maximum allowed now is 1000 tons so this is a 21 percent increase. It could amount to over 77,000 more tons a year! This is more toxins in the air we breathe; this is increased health risk to our population; this is an out-moded method of processing garbage.
Tell both the Mayor & your council member that you want to see the city spending resources on achieving Zero Waste, on separating & utilizing the organic components of garbage & treating them by Anaerobic Digestion for use as compost & soil amendment, recycling the metals, glass, etc. & reducing petroleum-based plastics at the point of manufacture. The choice between burn & landfill is in large part -- FALSE! We can reduce, reuse, & recyle garbage -- San Francisco has achieved 85%; we are somewhere at 40% -- we can do better!
Here are the names of Minneapolis Council members:
Ward Council Member
1 Kevin Reich (612) 673-2201 Kevin.Reich@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
2 Cam Gordon (612) 673-2202 Cam.Gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
3 Diane Hofstede (612) 673-2203 Diane.Hofstede@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
4 Barbara Johnson (612) 673-2204 Barbara.Johnson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
5 Don Samuels (612) 673-2205 Don.Samuels@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
6 Robert Lilligren (612) 673-2206 Robert.Lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
7 Lisa Goodman (612) 673-2207 Lisa.Goodman@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
8 Elizabeth Glidden (612) 673-2208 Elizabeth.Glidden@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
9 Gary Schiff (612) 673-2209 Gary.Schiff@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
10 Meg Tuthill (612) 673-2210 Meg.Tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
11 John Quincy (612) 673-2211 John.Quincy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
12 Sandy Colvin Roy (612) 673-2212 Sandy.Colvin.Roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
13 Betsy Hodges (612) 673-2213 Betsy.Hodges@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Local Media Coverage
MPCA Turns Back Bid to Burn More Trash Without Public Input, Twin Cities Daily Planet, by Chris Steller, 11/28/2009.
PCA Denies a Request to Burn More Trash at Hennepin County's Incinerator Next to Target Field, Star Tribune, November 24, 2009.
Decision on downtown garbage burner increase delayed, by Jeremy Stratton, Twin Cities Daily Planet, July 24, 2009.
Frank Hornstein, Jean Wagenius: Star Tribune wrong to endorse plan to increase incinerator use: Minneapolis city Council should reject Hennepin County's proposal, Star-Tribune Opinion, July 22, 2009.
HERC--Burn, baby, burn? by Jeremy Stratton, Twin Cities Daily Planet, July 21, 2009.
County Wants to Burn More Garbage at Minneapolis Incinerator, by Stephanie Hemphill, MPR NewsQ, July 16, 2009.
"Bid to Burn More Trash Near Ballpark Turned Down", Star Tribune, June 22, 2009.
"Mpls Residents Discuss Garbage Plan", (For Video, click here.) myFox9.com, 6/8/09.
"Minneapolis Pushes to Burn More Trash" See Strib, 6/5/09.
"Tracking Your $: Hennepin Co. Garbage Burner" KSTP.com, 6/10/09.
For more information, or on what else you can do to help, contact us at: neighborsagainstheburner@gmail.com
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Senator Torres Ray letter opposing HERC expansion | 126.92 KB |
| Rep. Karen Clark letter opposing HERC expansion | 111.16 KB |
| East Philips Improvement Coalition letter opposing HERC expansion | 134.64 KB |