Minneapolis and Beyond: Incinerator Fights Under State Repression
Frontline environmental justice organizers from across the United States are coming together for a national online seminar addressing opposition to trash incinerators, state repression, and the growing zero-waste movement. The discussion is rooted in Minneapolis, where organizers are escalating efforts to permanently shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center amid allegations of serious pollution, labor concerns, and regulatory violations. Advocates say the struggle in Minnesota reflects a broader national pattern of government and industry resistance to environmental accountability.
Just before an escalated federal crackdown in Minneapolis, the Zero Burn Coalition announced plans to intensify its campaign to permanently shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) trash incinerator, citing newly uncovered evidence of worker deaths and significant ash and emissions violations. HERC is allegedly one of the biggest polluters in the county, emitting mercury, lead, carbon monoxide, dioxins (cancer-causing chemicals), and many other toxins into the air.
Organizers say Minneapolis is not an isolated case. Across the United States, anti-incinerator campaigns report facing government and industry opposition that downplays the environmental, labor, and public health risks associated with waste incineration.
A Nationwide Struggle
Frontline organizers from campaigns in California, Michigan, Maryland, and Minnesota will share lessons from their local fights during an upcoming national online seminar. The discussion will focus on where these campaigns currently stand and how grassroots advocacy has helped push zero-waste policies at both local and national levels.
Why It Matters
Generations of people have fought back against HERC, working toward a day when all Minnesotans can breathe clean, healthy air. “The Zero Burn Coalition carries on this legacy with the hope that the time for Environmental Justice is finally upon us.” (“Zero Burn Coalition on us.”
Event Details
- What: Minneapolis and Beyond: Incinerator Fights Under State Repression on
- When: February 4, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Central Time (US and Canada)
- Focus: Anti-incinerator campaigns, state repression, and zero-waste organizing
- Register at: tinyurl.com/mplsandbeyond