Home / Environment / Hennepin County Sued Over Toxic Ash Disposal
Hennepin County Sued Over Toxic Ash Disposal
8 Jul
Summary
- Environmental group sues Hennepin County for violating state ash disposal law.
- Incinerator ash contains lead, mercury, PFAS, and other dangerous contaminants.
- County plans to close trash plant between 2028 and 2040.
Hennepin County is facing a lawsuit from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) over alleged violations of state law concerning incinerator ash. The MCEA claims the county has failed to outline adequate plans for managing the harmful ash produced by the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), a trash-burning facility in downtown Minneapolis.
The lawsuit highlights that the incinerator generates approximately 80,000 tons of toxic ash annually. This ash reportedly contains dangerous substances including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, dioxins, furans, and PFAS. The MCEA argues that the county's waste management plans do not adequately address the toxicity or quantity of this incinerator ash, a requirement under state law.
Hennepin County plans to close the HERC facility, which powers about 25,000 homes, sometime between 2028 and 2040. The county has stated it believes its current plan complies with state law and was approved by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, therefore declining to amend it at this time. The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling the county to provide a compliant plan.
