Remember that Mark Andrew was an ardent supporter of this very poor way of
dealing with garbage. Is he really going to make Minneapolis "greener"? Mayor
Rybak made his contribution to tons more plastic bottles that help the burner
because they burn so well when he botched the plan to make water fountains
available all over Minneapolis, turning it into an expensive and exclusive
project to leave as part of his "legacy". Those in power downtown lack vision,
to put it kindly. They apparently don't care about more and more air pollution
alerts and what kind of world their children and grandchildren will inhabit.
This flier is available in printable form if anyone wants to distribute this
valuable information.
Janet Nye
Phillips
HERC Garbage Burner Myths and Facts
MYTH: Incineration is "environmentally preferable" to landfilling
(dumping), and protects us from groundwater pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions.
FACT: Garbage incineration produces
health-damaging air emissions, ash having to be dumped and more greenhouse gas
emissions than burning coal (for the same amount of electricity generated).
MYTH: the proposed HERC burning increase will help
get trash out of polluting landfills
FACT: Neither dumping or burning mixed garbage makes any sense. Both pollute,
and both need to be phased out
in favor of “zero waste.”
MYTH: HERC is a good job provider for our
community.
FACT: “Zero
Waste” (recycling) programs provide more jobs than burning.
MYTH: Hennepin County is a recycling leader.
FACT: Hennepin County's recycling rate is below the Minnesota statewide
average, and the County long-term recycling goal is only 45%. San Francisco's
recycling rate is over 75 %,
and ours could be also.
MYTH: Hennepin has recently increased its recycling and organics composting
goals.
FACT: But
only to 45 percent. The focus remains on
burning.
MYTH: HERC
has significantly lowered its air emissions
FACT: Mercury emissions were lowered years ago. Other emissions, such as NOx
and PM-2.5 (fine
dust) are the same as they have been since the burner opened in 1987. Covanta
claims to have special technology for
reducing NOx but doesn't plan to use it on the HERC.
MYTH: The HERC helps Minneapolis be a
"green" and "sustainable" city.
FACT: Minneapolis' recycling rate is only about 17 percent, far below average,
but Minneapolis residents suffer from more than their share of asthma and other
pollution-related diseases.
MYTH: Minneapolis garbage is burned in the HERC. If Minneapolis recycles
more, less will be
burned.
FACT: Most
of the garbage burned in the HERC does not come from Minneapolis. Under
present contracts, if less Minneapolis
garbage is burned, more will just be hauled into the City from the suburbs.