Summary

A short guide to key concerns with waste incineration

HERC’s pollution is unsafe

Hennepin County staff maintain that HERC’s air pollution is at safe levels by virtue of measured pollutants being under permit limits and other analysis. However, there are several issues with these permit limits and other analysis.

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NOT health-based
HERC's air pollution permit is based on technology-based limitations of air pollution control equipment rather than limits that are shown to be safe for health. Details
Improperly set
The technology-based air pollution limits for HERC were improperly set by the EPA. Details
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Outdated
Modern emissions standards are much lower than what was in usage at the time of HERC's permits. Many HERC pollutant levels would exceed limits in a modern permit based on health standards. Details
Oversimplified
Air pollution standards don't consider the simultaneous presence of all pollutants, which likely increases health risks much more than current regulations would suggest. Details
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Incomplete
HERC does not monitor or set health standards for key pollutants like PFASs ("forever" chemicals). Details
Underestimated
The modeling tool used by the county to estimate health risks from air pollution does not account for PFASs and particulate matter (solid particles and liquid droplets that can be inhaled and enter the bloodstream). An independent analysis estimated 1-2 excess deaths per year just from HERC's particulate matter emissions. Modeling tools also do not account for the increased susceptibility of disadvantaged communities to a given amount of air pollution. Details



HERC’s pollution is unjust

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Inequitable health risks
HERC pollutants are more likely to cause health risks in nearby communities than in communities farther away. Historically burdened environmental justice communities are overrepresented close to HERC, compared to predominately more affluent communities farther away. Details
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Increased harms for disadvantaged communities
Individuals living in environmental justice (EJ) communities (communities with low income or where racial minorities make up a majority of the population) experience more harm from a given amount of pollution than those living in more advantaged communities due to systemic and societal factors. Details



The reality of “incinerators vs. landfills”

Hennepin County officials frequently claim that HERC is a solution to multiple problems associated with landfills. However, their arguments don’t hold up.

2054
Metro landfill capacity is sufficient
County officials often say that trash will pile up on the streets if HERC closes due to insufficient landfill capacity. An analysis by the MN Center for Environmental Advocacy shows that metro-area landfill capacity is sufficient until 2054 if HERC were to close in 2025. Details
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Incinerators don't avoid landfills
Incineration creates a sizeable amount of ash that requires its own landfill due to its toxicity. Toxicity testing of ash is underregulated and can be conducted in ways that underestimate toxicitiy. The management of ash landfills in terms of dust control and wastewater treatment is also complex. Details
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Incinerators are not safer than landfills
Incineration and landfilling are both associated with harmful air emissions. Both also produce substantial amounts of global warming gases, methane for landfills and carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuel-sourced plastics and other materials. Neither are good for climate change compared to carbon-free renewable energy sources. Details



HERC’s energy generation is replaceable

Hennepin County often advertises HERC’s electricity generation as a notable positive feature of the facility.

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HERC does not directly power homes
While HERC generates enough electricity for the equivalent usage of 25,000 homes, it does not directly power 25,000 homes. Generated electricity is sent to the electrical grid which pools electricity from many different generating sources. HERC shutting down would not cause 25,000 homes to lose power. In fact, HERC is routinely offline for extended periods, just like major generators that generate several times more electricity than HERC. Details
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HERC generates a relatively small amount of electricity
HERC's energy generation capacity is only about 7.3% of Minneapolis’s total capacity, and HERC's energy generation is only about 0.35% of Minnesota's total production. Details
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Incineration is inefficient
Waste incinerators like HERC are much more inefficient than other means of electricity production. Details



Further resources

Fact sheets

Reports

  • Hennepin County Staff Underestimate Risks from the HERC Incinerator. Doug Gurian-Sherman, Ph.D. July 2025.
    • Summary: The Zero Burn Coalition has produced a report that evaluates Hennepin County’s analysis of air pollution risks from HERC, using the County’s own data, recent science, and regulatory information. Many of the HERC health risks discussed on this website are reviewed in greater detail in this report. The report shows multiple ways that County staff have underestimated the harm from HERC air emissions. They have also incorrectly stated that HERC causes no more harm to residents in neighborhoods near HERC than to residents in more distant parts of the County. They make this false assertion despite possessing data which confirm greater risk from HERC to nearby residents, many of whom live in environmental justice (EJ) communities, compared to residents of more distant mostly non-EJ neighborhoods. The analysis performed for the report is backed by recent published research by scientists or regulatory agencies. Taken together, the multiple sources of additional risk from HERC add up to substantial unaccounted for air pollution harm from HERC.