‘Cover Stories’ Archives
HERC Closer to Closing Down?
By ZERO BURN COALITION Brass Solidarity leading a march from the morning rally to the City Council meeting. SOURCE: Mallory Ferguson On November 7, 2024 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, joined by City Council Members, Representative Frank Hornstein, and local environmental advocates, signed a resolution urging the permanent closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) trash burner located in downtown Minneapolis by 2027. The resolution to close HERC unanimously passed the Minneapolis City Council a week prior, As part of its ambitious Zero Waste Plan, the City has set a goal to recycle or compost 80% of its waste by 2030. The HERC incinerator, which processes up to 1,000 tons of waste daily, is the largest industrial air polluter in Hennepin County. In recent years, it has faced increasing scrutiny from community and environmental justice groups for its disproportionate impact on nearby low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Only 22% of what is burned at [...]
Ingebretsen’s Gift Shop Turns 50!
Submitted by INGEBRETSEN’S This year the Ingebrestsen’s Gift Shop celebrates its 50th birthday. Julie Ingebretsen started running a small counter with just a few imported gifts alongside the well known Meat Market and Deli in 1974 and has built the store into one of the most respected Nordic import and gift stores in the country. The combination of the traditional food at the Deli (opened by Charles Ingebretsen - a Swedish immigrant to the Midwest - in 1921!) and imported gifts and home goods for sale makes Ingebretsen’s a source for the local community to find connection with Scandinavian culture. Ingebretsen’s is one of the last stores still standing from the early 20th century era of “snoose boulevard,” a hub of Scandinavian American activity. The street remains a corridor where immigrant businesses can get their start and contribute to a multicultural fabric of Minneapolis. Christmas is the time of year that brings the Scandinavians in the Twin Cities out in [...]
Community, Health, Education, and Labor Leaders Unite in Call at City Council to Close HERC Trash Burner Hearing
Newly proposed resolution would call for a shutdown date for the facility and seeks restitution for residents impacted by the incinerator By ZERO BURN COALITION Attendees at an October 10th hearing on the permanent closure of Minneapolis’ HERC trash incinerator. PHOTO: Devon Young Cupery The Minneapolis City Council’s Climate & Infrastructure Committee held a public hearing on October 10 focusing on a resolution to support the permanent closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC). The resolution marks a significant step in addressing decades of environmental and health concerns raised by local residents, scientists, and environmental advocates. The resolution calls for a definitive closure date for HERC, restitution for communities impacted by the facility’s 35 years of operation, and frontline community leadership in determining the future of the site. It also urges the City to implement its 2017 Zero Waste Plan, aiming to reduce waste and promote [...]
