Coalition Demands Closure of Minneapolis Trash Incinerator by 2027
Contributing writer Alaysia Lane reports on the Zero Burn Coalition's push for Hennepin County to adopt stricter emissions monitoring at HERC, the Minneapolis trash incinerator located behind Target Field, and commit to closing the facility by the end of 2027. Coalition members argue annual stack tests miss the highest-emitting periods during startups and malfunctions, and want continuous monitoring expanded to cover more than 20 pollutants including heavy metals and dioxins. Maple Grove resident Cassandra Belyeu, who lived near the facility for years, says she began questioning its role after multiple generations of her family developed respiratory issues.
The Zero Burn Coalition is urging Hennepin County officials to adopt stricter emission monitoring requirements for the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) and commit to closing the Minneapolis trash incinerator by the end of 2027.
The proposal comes as county leaders continue discussions about the county’s 2027 budget and the facility’s future.
Located near downtown Minneapolis, behind Target Field, HERC burns municipal solid waste collected from across Hennepin County and generates electricity through combustion. Supporters say the facility reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, while critics argue incineration contributes to air pollution and disproportionately affects nearby communities.
Coalition representatives say current emissions testing fails to capture the full range of pollutants the facility releases. Mike Ewall, executive director of the Energy Justice Network and a coalition member, compared annual emissions testing to a driver slowing down before a known speed trap.
“Stack tests are required under ideal operating conditions,” Ewall said. “They miss startups, shutdowns and malfunctions, which can be some of the highest-emitting periods.”
Ewall said HERC, like many municipal waste incinerators, continuously monitors only a handful of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and carbon monoxide. The coalition wants that list expanded to include heavy metals, particulate matter and other compounds associated with waste combustion, arguing that continuous monitoring or sampling would offer a fuller picture than annual stack tests conducted under scheduled conditions.
“There is no data, except for that once-a-year test, on many of the toxic chemicals being released,” Ewall said.
The coalition is calling for continuous monitoring or sampling of more than 20 pollutants and wants county leaders to evaluate whether continued investment in HERC remains the best long-term waste management strategy, including the facility’s long-term financial costs compared with alternatives.
Beyond monitoring, coalition members are calling for Hennepin County to phase out the facility entirely.
B.P. Lyles, coordinator of Delco Environmental Justice and director of the Toxic Prisons Campaign, pointed to Chester, Pennsylvania, where residents have lived near one of the nation’s largest waste incinerators for decades. He said environmental justice campaigns often face challenges beyond pollution itself, as residents juggling jobs, health concerns and financial pressures have little time to attend public meetings or advocate.
“People are focused on surviving,” Lyles said. “Part of the work is helping residents understand that their voices matter because they are the ones living the experience.”
Asked why the coalition is seeking closure by the end of 2027, both Ewall and Lyles said communities should move away from incineration as quickly as possible.
“The sooner, the better,” Lyles said. “It is dangerous for all people connected.”
Hennepin County did not respond with comment by deadline.
The coalition’s concerns are echoed by some residents who live or previously lived near the facility. Cassandra Belyeu, a Maple Grove resident and faith community organizer who formerly lived on Minneapolis’ North Side, said she decided to speak publicly because of health issues she believes affected multiple generations of her family.
Belyeu said her concerns developed gradually while living in north Minneapolis, where she recalled noticing strong odors for years without knowing their source. After attending community meetings and learning more about HERC, she began questioning whether environmental conditions in the area contributed to respiratory issues in her family. She said she was later diagnosed with asthma, and that both her son and grandson experienced respiratory symptoms at different points in their lives.
“I didn’t grow up with asthma,” Belyeu said. “My son didn’t have asthma when he was younger, and my grandson experienced breathing problems, too. It made me start asking questions.”
She said many residents may be unaware of what pollutants the facility emits or how emissions are monitored. “I believe everybody should know what comes out of that incinerator,” Belyeu said. “Whether you live or work nearby or travel through the area, people deserve that information.”
Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman, a retired Environmental Protection Agency risk scientist who advises the coalition, said annual testing provides only a limited snapshot of facility operations and may not capture temporary pollution spikes during equipment startups, shutdowns or malfunctions. Those events, though brief, can carry different health implications than average annual emissions levels, he said.
“When you have limited numbers of tests, you’re not going to capture the variability,” Gurian-Sherman said. “You’re not going to see spikes that can occur during startups, shutdowns or malfunctions.”
Gurian-Sherman said researchers and regulators distinguish between chronic exposure, which occurs over months or years, and acute exposure, which can occur over much shorter periods, and that continuous monitoring would provide a clearer picture of both. He identified particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and heavy metals including mercury, lead and cadmium as pollutants that concern him most from a public health standpoint. The coalition is also seeking additional monitoring of dioxins and furans, toxic compounds associated with waste combustion.
The debate over HERC extends beyond monitoring technology, coalition members said. Gurian-Sherman argued that decisions about the facility raise broader questions about environmental justice and how communities are involved in public decision-making, noting that industrial facilities and pollution sources are disproportionately located near lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
“This is part of a bigger issue about how we manage waste and how we value communities that have historically borne a disproportionate share of environmental burdens,” he said.
Belyeu said she hopes county leaders consider the experiences of residents who live near industrial facilities when deciding HERC’s future.
“I think people need to be heard,” she said. “The people who live with it every day should have a voice in what happens next.”
Hennepin County officials are expected to continue budget discussions in the coming months. The Zero Burn Coalition said it plans to continue advocating for expanded emissions monitoring and the facility’s closure by the end of 2027.
Alaysia Lane is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She welcomes reader responses at aal7008@nyu.edu.