Item Description:
title
Directing County Administration to develop plans and recommendations for the purpose of advising the Board on the closure of the HERC facility between 2028 and 2040; complying with state and federal statute, meeting major milestones of the County's Climate Action Plan and Zero Waste Plan, and ensuring continued funding for the County's waste reduction and natural resources programming, as amended - offered by commissioners Conley, Fernando and Lunde
end
WHEREAS:
body
WHEREAS, population and density near the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) facility has grown dramatically since its opening 34 years ago in 1989; and
WHEREAS, about 75% of the trash delivered to the HERC facility comes from Minneapolis and the remaining 25% is primarily from Bloomington, Champlin, Deephaven, Excelsior, Hopkins, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Osseo, Robbinsdale, Richfield, St. Bonifacius, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay, and Wayzata; and
WHEREAS, HERC's operation has enabled the county to manage its waste in compliance with current state statute which requires implementation of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan(s) (Minn. Stat. ?? 473.149; 473.803), and adherence to the Restriction on Disposal (Minn. Stat. sec. 473.848) and the waste hierarchy (Minn. Stat. ? 115A.02), as well as United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations and federal laws; and
WHEREAS, the county currently lacks sufficient infrastructure, and the state legislature has not advanced policies or resources, to meaningfully remove biogenic and recyclable material from waste and to reduce overall waste generation; and
WHEREAS, in September 2023, the County Administrator provided a staff report to the Hennepin County Board on the HERC and its role in the solid waste system, including considerations and recommendations related to closure; and
WHEREAS, on September 21, 2023, as part of a public board...
Click here for full text