Minneapolis demands deadline for shutting down county trash incinerator

The big picture: The resolution Mayor Jacob Frey signed Thursday is designed to ramp up pressure on county leaders — who themselves have already called for the HERC's closure between 2028 and 2040.

• The facility processes nearly half of the county's trash, 75% of which comes from Minneapolis.
• Coming up with a plan for where to send that waste has turned into a "no, you go first" debate.

Friction point: County leaders say that before the HERC can close, the city must reduce the amount of trash it produces, including by beefing up resident access to recycling or composting.

• Without such a plan, trash would need to be hauled to landfills outside Hennepin County in pollution-belching trucks.
• "I am not seeing momentum from Minneapolis policymakers," Hennepin County Commissioner Irene Fernando told Sahan Journal in September.

Yes, but: Environmental advocate Nazir Khan told reporters the responsibility lies with the county, not the city, to act first.

• Khan said the city does have "zero waste" goals on paper, but implementing them is difficult to plan if the county hasn't set a deadline to close the HERC.