BY LARA NORKUS- CRAMPTON, RN
It is interesting to revisit Minneapolis history, 25 years ago, when the Burner
was being heatedly debated. Garbage incineration was very controversial then as
now and there were many concerns about the health impacts of the predicted
emissions and the toxins in the ash.
Leslie Davis, founder of Earth Protector and an early opponent of HERC, wrote
an article that was printed in the 11/4/88 edition of the newsletter Waste Not
(published by Paul and Ellen Connett). He quotes from an infamous letter signed
by 20 MPCA staff, complaining to Commissioner Gerald Willet, their boss, about
the inadequate environmental review process that resulted in an operating
permit for the Downtown Burner in 1987.
Reportedly, in the letter the staff members said state and county decision
makers have not given enough attention to recycling, waste reduction and other
alternatives to burning garbage. They noted that incinerators can emit toxic
wastes such as dioxin, and that incinerator ash also contains contaminants
Many environmental effects of pollutant emissions are incompletely understood
The bottom line is that we cannot fully evaluate all the potential
environmental impacts of many toxic pollutant sources. Given these
uncertainties, the question arises as to where the burden of proof lies
(Health) risk assessment is not likely to provide definitive answers anytime
soon, if ever. They state that Minnesotas track record on policy and regulation
in the area of waste management has not been admirable.
http://www.americanhealthstudies.org/wastenot/wn/29.pdf
We know much more about dioxins now, of course. And it isnt good news. They are
considered some of the most toxic substances known to science, with negative
health impacts at exposures of parts per trillion.
http://renchemista.wordpress.com/category/chemicals-chemical-groups/dioxin/
In 2002, the HERC Burner self-reported emitting 51.89% of all the
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin produced in the entire state of Minnesota.
This is considered the most toxic form of dioxins.
In contrast to the state regulatory staff, early Burner promoters like County
Commissioner Mark Andrew were quoted in the 1987 summer edition of the MPIRG
Statewatch:
This thing [HERC] is going to look nice. Were going to have a clock tower. Weve
got a million dollars worth of landscapingits going to dramatically improve the
visual, aesthetic value of the area its being built in The small amount of air
pollution from the burner wont be a public health hazard, Andrew said.
Accepting increased air pollution is part of the cost for reducing dependence
on landfills, he said. There is a price associated with keeping this crap out
of the ground.
http://neighborsagainsttheburner.org/
sites/neighborsagainsttheburner.org/files/Garbage%20Fix-Big%20Burn.pdf
In a recent Strib article, Maya Rao comments on Mr. Andrews pragmatism,
wondering how he can help start an environmental group like MPIRG and advocate
for a Garbage Burner in the middle of the citystill calling it the most
successful alternative energy project in the history of the state as recently
as April of this year.
The debate still rages, and community activists working with environmental
groups like Sierra Club and MPIRG, as well as environmental justice groups, are
hoping for waste management practices as if the downwind people mattered.
Perhaps Josh Winters, current executive director of MPIRG, said it best when
asked to comment: Back when the garbage burner was first proposed, MPIRG raised
many questions about the potential health impacts from the burner on the
frontline communities surrounding the location of the facility. Since that
time, our concerns have only increased as we analyzed the data of actual health
damaging air pollutants coming from the HERC stacks, the disparate impact these
emissions have on our communities and children, and the very real alternatives
we have that avoid the need for garbage burning altogether. As our recent
report concludes: we need to stop the proposed expansion and work to phase out
garbage incineration as we increase recycling, composting and other waste
diversion strategies.
Ed Felien
Powderhorn
You can subscribe to Southside Pride by going to the web site:
southsidepride.com