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The City Council passed the controversial trash plan that will create a new transfer station on the Upper East Side and a recycling center in the Meatpacking District as well as shift garbage disposal from trucks to barges. The plan, which was approved 44 to 5, was a hotbed of emotions and terms like "environmental racism." The outer boroughs (finally, Manhattan would have to deal with its own trash!) and environmentalists (garbage trucks have shorter routes, taking trash to four new transfer stations that will have barges taking the trash out) hailed the proposal while Upper East Siders hate the idea of a garbage transfer station being built near a park. Though there are environmental benefits to the plan, the Department of Sanitation commissioner said that the cost of removing trash will increase from $77 to $107 per town. Here's how the Mayor's press release describes the plan:
The Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) will fundamentally change the way the City transports waste. Currently, DSNY trucks and private tractor trailers export about 84 percent of the City’s residential garbage – which totals 12,000 tons a day. Under the new plan, Sanitation trucks will be used to export only 13 percent, while the use of long-haul tractor-trailer trucks will be eliminated entirely. Instead, the City will export almost 90 percent of the City’s residential waste by barge or rail.The plan still needs to be passed by the state, and opponents will be heading to Albany to fight it. And if passed, it will not be operational until 2009. The NY Times has a graphic of the different transfer stations in the plan.Under the SWMP, New York City will build four new Marine Transfer Stations (MTS). Barges will carry containerized waste from Sanitation trucks to an inter-modal facility. The barges will be transferred to a rail car or a sea-faring barge and sent to an out-of-state waste disposal facility. In addition, the plan will make use of up to six privately-owned rail transfer stations in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Together, the rail and marine transfer stations will handle nearly all of the City’s residential waste, and the Department of Sanitation will also make its best effort to attract commercial waste haulers to its new marine transfer stations.
As a result, Sanitation trucks will travel about 2.7 million fewer miles per year, and travel by tractor-trailer trucks will be reduced by 3 million miles per year. The Departments of Sanitation and Transportation will also conduct a study identifying practical and cost-effective ways to reduce the impact of transfer station truck traffic on communities. In addition, the four new Marine Transfer Stations will include state-of-the-art environmental controls, as well as an advanced odor–neutralization system.
Photograph of garbage barge from cottergarage on Flickr
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*more* trash in the meatpacking district?
Did you hear the mayor's comment regarding "nimby"?
He said something like if we didn't do the the air that you breathe would be a heck of a lot worse.
UM, mr. mayor, how about the millions of cars that come into the city? Is the air better when it comes to auto traffic instead of sanitation trucks?
Finally Manhattan will be handling its own garbage rather than exporting it to the outer boroughs.
This was long overdue.
Ask yourself: How is it fair that Manhattan produces the most trash yet doesn't have to store & transfer it in facilities in its neighborhoods?
Why should the Bronx, Brooklyn & Queens be forced to store & transfer waste that was generated in Manhattan? Why should those in the Bronx be forced to have it near their parks when those on the Upper East Side who generate the trash do not want it near their parks?
And this is an environmental racism issue b/c if you look at the racial composition of the boroughs and where the waste transfer sites were in the past, it will become evident.
A large number of people of color have to live, work and go to school next to sites that store & transfer trash generated by those in Manhattan.
This is a big improvement for the City.
"how about the millions of cars that come into the city?"
He can't stop people from driving but he can reduce cost of trash removal. Are you complaining about a mayor that's trying to cut down the cost???? We are talking about trash removal not traffic removal.
"Is the air better when it comes to auto traffic instead of sanitation trucks?"
Yes. This will reduce the distance driven by the diesel trash trucks and diesel tractors which have different (less restrictive) emission standards than cars.
I'm complaining about a mayor who does not have his priorites right.
Give me a break, NO way sanitation trucks produce more pollutants than the millions of cars each day in this City.
How many Sanitation trucks you see on your way to work compared to all the cars?
And what's this quote above?
the Department of Sanitation commissioner said that the cost of removing trash will increase from $77 to $107 per town
I thought you said the costs will go down?