Hennepin County emails reveal staff tracked local activists

Hennepin County staff monitored environmental justice activists planning to close a local waste incinerator, according to newly released emails. The Zero Burn Coalition and the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table obtained the messages through a Freedom of Information Act request. They published a report stating the county used these tactics to oppose state legislation and anticipate protests.

The facility burns 365,000 tons of trash annually. Advocates argue it releases pollution into surrounding low-income neighborhoods. Much of the monitoring operation centered on Joe Vital, a county employee hired in 2021 as an environmental engagement coordinator. Vital previously worked with activists on pipeline opposition efforts. County officials regarded him as an ally, but the emails suggest he gathered intelligence on the very groups he was supposed to support.

In June 2023, advocates held a public Zoom meeting to plan their next steps. Organizers typically screen attendees to check for industry opponents. Angie Timmons, a county environmental department manager, saw the invitation and asked Vital to attend. He compiled a list of participants, including a state representative and a former city council member. He also detailed the planned activities of each group. That dossier went to Rosemary Lavin, the county’s energy and environment department director.

Supervisors planned to report the findings to Lisa Cerney, a top public works official who reports to political leadership. Cerney has made public statements supporting the incinerator. In a recorded conversation, Vital attempted to confirm the identity of a whistleblower to Nazir Khan, the executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table. Khan said Vital went unnoticed during the screening process because his name was not displayed. When activists confronted Vital, he claimed he was working for them. He told Khan, "You have to offer a pound of flesh to maintain inside the room." Khan said the county gave advocates little value in return.

The emails also show county information reaching industry leaders. In March 2024, county official David McNary forwarded advocates’ organizing emails to Tim Steinbeck, president of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center. Steinbeck replied that a proposed bill to phase out polluting land uses would be detrimental. He urged industry representatives to testify against the measure. The bill was defeated. Mallory Anderson, a county employee, had joined the advocates’ email list without their knowledge and sent the messages to McNary.

At a board meeting this week, organizer Audua Pugh asked county leaders why public staff time was used to watch residents. She noted the facility should have closed nearly a decade ago. Hennepin County issued a statement calling the allegations a mischaracterization of its work. A spokesperson described the actions as ordinary functions of government. The county has 9,000 employees and relies on community members to build relationships.

Seven incinerators operate in Minnesota. They face scrutiny for releasing PFAS chemicals that cannot be fully destroyed by burning. Similar fights are under way in Baltimore and Miami. Vital did not respond to a request for comment.