Communities Come Together To Oppose Waste Transfer Stations In Gravesend, Upper East Side
The following is a press release from Assemblyman Bill Colton’s office:
Two communities in New York City have come together to fight against the City of New York’s Solid Waste Management Plan by rallying against the proposed Gravesend Bay Marine Waste Transfer Station (1824 Shore Parkway, between Bay 41st Street & 26th Avenue). This rally was held on Sunday, June 1, at 1:00 pm at the Bay Parkway Promenade, along the water’s edge, between Caesar’s Bay Shopping Center and Bensonhurst Park, in southwest Brooklyn.
The two communities that rallyied this Sunday are southern Brooklyn, represented by the organization S.T.R.O.N.G., and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, represented by the organization Pledge2Protect. These two organizations are organizing this rally, along with the offices of Assemblyman Bill Colton, and City Councilmen Mark Treyger, Vincent Gentile, and Ben Kallos.
These two communities and groups joined at this rally to raise their opposition to the City’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). Pledge 2 Protect and S.T.R.O.N.G. both agree that this plan does not reach its mission and does not reach its objectives in helping “to equip the City with an equitable, environmentally sound, operationally efficient and cost-effective barge and rail-based solid waste transfer and export system” (Source: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8498.html). Rather, the Solid Waste Management Plan is self-defeating. The hundreds of millions of dollars that is being spent on this plan could be used in increasing the amount of recycling in the city. We believe that recycling more waste is the sounder and more efficient long-term solution – it is the real answer. Recycling trash, not dumping or transferring it is the real way to relieve burdens on residential communities.
At Sunday’s rally, there were elected officials and community leaders from both Pledge 2 Protect & the Upper East Side, and S.T.R.O.N.G. & Southern Brooklyn exposing the problems of City’s Solid Waste Management Plan. These public officials and civic leaders raised their concerns about the environmental, public health and safety issues of these two garbage station proposals. These issues will affect the quality of life of both communities of Southern Brooklyn and the Upper East Side. These two communities and organizations have come together to stop this plan, and showed their alliance at this rally in opposition to these proposed garbage stations.
S.T.R.O.N.G. (Sandy Task-Force Recovery Organized by Neighborhood Groups was founded in January 2013 by Councilman Mark Treyger in response to the devastation felt by so many families in southern Brooklyn after Hurricane Sandy. Last year, S.T.R.O.N.G. formed a coalition, titled “DUMP THE DUMP,” with community leaders, elected officials, and neighborhood organizations from across southern Brooklyn to stop this dangerous garbage station. These elected officials, organizations, and leaders are from neighborhoods including: Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Mill Basin, Canarsie, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bergen Beach, and Bay Ridge.
Also organizing this rally was Assemblyman Bill Colton (D-47th Assembly District). Assemblyman Colton has been fighting against the proposed Gravesend Bay Garbage Station since 2005, and in 2012 he filed a lawsuit to block the city’s plan to construct and operate a waste transfer station at this location, near Shore Parkway and Bay 41st Street in Bensonhurst. This location is the site of the former Southwest Brooklyn incinerator. Currently, the legal battle is continuing in court. Colton also led a successful lawsuit in the late 1980s and early 1990s to shut down the Southwest Brooklyn incinerator.
If built, this garbage station will cause serious public health, environmental, and safety concerns for neighborhoods throughout southern Brooklyn and all along the waterways of New York City and adjacent states. Some examples:
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD: The proposed site for the southwest Brooklyn garbage station is in the middle of a residential neighborhood, where people live, work, and play. There are many schools nearby, including 20 private and public schools within two miles from the proposed site, including the Block Institute, located at Bay 44th Street, which services children and adults with disabilities.
There are also two buildings, which house large numbers of senior citizens, including the Haym Salomon Home for Nursing & Rehabilitation, Regina Pacis Housing, and The Sephardic Home. In addition to this large population of elderly, there are many high-rise apartment and co-op buildings located near the site, including Contello Towers and Waterview Towers across the Belt Parkway, which are 17 stories tall and are home for thousands of people.
There are several NYCHA developments located in Coney Island, only a mile away from the proposed garbage station site, including Coney Island Houses, Haber Houses, Unity Towers, Carey Gardens Houses, and Gravesend Houses.
Additionally, Adventurers Amusement Park & Entertainment Center, Marine Basin Marina, and Calvert Vaux Park are located nearby.
STREET TRAFFIC: The operation of the Gravesend Bay MTS will lead to increased numbers of sanitation trucks and vehicle traffic on the surrounding streets of Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and adjacent communities.
There is only one road leading to the proposed site (Shore Parkway, which can only be accessed by trucks via Bay Parkway), and the site is located next to the Belt Parkway and near a major shopping center. The growth in traffic congestion on these already crowded and busy streets will increase the probability of vehicular-pedestrian accidents and create noise and air pollution that will adversely affect the quality of life.
AN OVERBURDENED AREA: For 30 years, the City operated an illegal incinerator at this site; as a result, nearby residents have reported increased cases of cancer, asthma, and other serious chronic ailments. They woke up each morning to find ash from incineration on their windows. All of southern Brooklyn and its diverse communities, including minority communities of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, will be negatively affected by this plan.
WORLD WAR II BOMBS – DREDGING THREAT: The USS Bennington, a World War II aircraft barge capsized in Gravesend Bay in 1954 and dropped 1,500 live bombs (“World War II-era copper artillery shells — including one five-feet long — designed to shoot down airplanes, and about 1,500 large-caliber machine-gun shells designed to explode on contact” source: http://nypost.com/2010/10/24/diver-has-blast-with-historic-discovery/) to the bottom of the highly turbulent water. Professional divers have confirmed that such a large number of munitions, which can explode upon impact, lie at the bottom of the Bay. Specialists have confirmed that the action of dredging can indeed ignite a catastrophic explosion of numerous bombs at once causing untold damage to property and wildlife and possible deaths.
TOXIC CHEMICALS – DREDGING THREAT: There are highly-concentrated amounts of extremely toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic, as well as now-outlawed insecticides and pesticides such as Mirex buried by sand and silt at the bottom of Gravesend Bay. These chemicals, which threaten the health of nearby residents every day were spewed into these waters by the City through the operation of the closed incinerator. To build this garbage station, the City has confirmed they will need to dredge the bottom of Gravesend Bay repeatedly, which will release these toxic chemicals into the air and water.
Assemblyman William Colton (D-47th Assembly District) funded a study of the Gravesend Bay floor bed, and scientists confirmed the high levels of dangerous toxins. “Black mayonnaise,” was the term used by scientists in their analysis to describe the condition of the sand at the bottom of Gravesend Bay. The samples were taken from the top few inches of the bay floor bed, not a deep dig. Dredging will go several feet down into the decades of dangerous debris, bringing it to the surface, where it will travel along with the water’s current into other areas and to the shoreline. In 2012, before Hurricane Sandy hit, the NYC Department of Sanitation conducted a sediment sampling study of the bottom of Gravesend Bay. It found Type C Acutely Toxic Levels of Mercury, PCBs, Lead, Dieldrin, Chlordane, and Arsenic, and Type B Hazardously Toxic Levels of Lead, Cadmium, Dioxins, Mirex, and insecticides, among others, in the dredging area.
FLOOD ZONE: This site has been designated Zone 1 on the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Map and Zone A by FEMA, which describes this as a high-risk area with a 1 in 4 chance of flooding. This site was severely flooded during Super-storm Sandy. Another storm of that strength or possibly lesser, will cause extensive flooding of this proposed Gravesend site, sending the trash into homes, schools, nursing homes, and shared public spaces. In addition to the fears brought from mold, Brooklynites will need to worry about the garbage and toxic chemicals that have flooded their properties and neighborhoods.
WATER AND BEACH POLLUTION: The people of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach will not be the only ones affected by this garbage station. Gravesend Bay is connected to Coney Island Creek, as well as the waters along Seagate, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Mill Basin, Manhattan Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Toxic chemicals, debris and garbage from this pollution will spread out far beyond the boundaries of New York City.
STATEMENTS:
Assemblyman Bill Colton, the leader in this fight for nearly a decade, declared, “This dangerous garbage dump will cause serious harm to the public health, environment, and safety of the people of our neighborhoods in southwest Brooklyn. The former southwest Brooklyn incinerator, which was located and illegally operated for over 30 years by the City of New York, spewed toxic ash containing dangerous chemicals into the waters of Gravesend Bay. If this garbage station is built, those toxic substances will be released into the waters across southern Brooklyn, such as Gravesend Bay and Coney Island Creek, and along the shores of Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Coney Island Beach. The City cannot go forward with this dangerous and toxic plan, and I am going to continue fighting on behalf of southern Brooklyn until this plan is stopped.” Colton continued, “History matters here – the City needs to take into account that the site of this proposed garbage station is the site of the former southwest Brooklyn incinerator, which illegally spewed toxic ash into the air and waters of our community. People living and working near the former incinerator have suffered enough at the hands of the city’s reckless waste management. Residents near the former incinerator have reported increased rates of cancer, asthma, and other serious, chronic health problems. These people woke up each morning to find toxic ash from the waste incineration on their windows and cars. As we are still reeling from the aftermath of 30 years of illegal incineration, we cannot allow another dangerous plan to move forward and further wreak havoc on Southwest Brooklyn’s residents and environment. Southwest Brooklyn will not become a dumping ground for the City’s garbage once again.”
Councilman Mark Treyger, who has been leading the fight against this garbage station for over eight years alongside Assemblyman Bill Colton asserted, “When an environmental review of a serious garbage facility proposal that requires repeated dredging omits bombs from World War II and toxins left over from a former illegal incinerator that operated for decades, the public has a right to have serious concerns and public officials have an obligation to act. This project will exacerbate contaminated conditions in Gravesend Bay and once again place Sandy victims and those previously impacted by the illegal incinerator in harm’s way due to its location in a severe flood zone that will impact Bath Beach, Coney Island, Sea Gate and beyond. This is the last thing that incinerator and Sandy victims need while still dealing with the severe aftermath of burned ash and flooding. Our history in Southwest Brooklyn matters just like anywhere else in New York City, and for the sake of our families and future we will not relent in our fight for environmental justice.”
Deputy Leader Councilman Vincent Gentile affirmed, “While we all must share the responsibility of the 11,000 tons of waste New Yorkers produce each day, it must be done responsibly and it has been proven that the construction of a trash shipping terminal on Gravesend Bay would stir up extremely dangerous and deadly chemicals left in the water by the incinerator that formerly occupied this location for three decades. That is not acceptable. If they dredge on this site, they will fill the waters with poison… and from that, there will be no turning back. That is why we must ban together to prevent the construction of this dump in our backyard.”
Councilman David G. Greenfield asserted,”Shore Parkway is bustling with small business and family-friendly establishments. It’s frequently used by local residents for recreational activities. This is no place for a waste transfer station. The City has a responsibility to ensure that such a high traffic strip is environmentally safe.”
Kings County Democratic Party County Chair & District Leader Frank Seddio declared, “I have stood with Assemblyman Colton in court fighting this garbage station plan, and I will continue fighting with our elected officials, civic organizations, and community leaders to stop this garbage station facility from being built and operated. This is a project that never should have been started, considered, and contemplated in the Bensonhurst community. It will do nothing but hurt the citizens of Brooklyn and ultimately will serve no purpose and will not relieve the problems of trash disposal and burdens in our neighborhoods.”
Councilman Alan Maisel asserted, “I support Assemblyman Colton and the S.T.R.O.N.G. Coalition in their efforts to stop the Gravesend Bay Marine Waste Transfer Station. This waste transfer station should not be located in the middle of a residential community. The site of this proposed garbage station is environmentally unsound, with highly toxic chemicals at the bottom of Gravesend Bay. We should not be waging environmental war against our neighborhoods.”
Community Activist Jamie Kemmerer, Executive Director of the Bay Ridge Democrats, stated,
“I am proud to stand here with Assemblyman Colton and Councilman Treyger who have been leading the opposition to this misguided waste transfer plan. Before Sandy, the dredging up of toxic chemicals in the bay made this plan a very bad idea. Now, after Sandy, the idea of putting a waste transfer site at this location is a recipe for a public health disaster. The only way to satisfy the City’s own goals of recognizing the environmental issues surrounding waste and treating each borough fairly would be to cancel the Gravesend Waste Transfer Station.”
Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny asserted, “The waste transfer station may cause potential health issues to the residents of this area, I feel strongly that the City should take a harder look at the plans and potential impact before beginning construction.”
District Leader Ari Kagan affirmed, “It is outrageous that Department of Sanitation ignores so many elected officials from Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay, as well as community groups and environmentalists who are united in their opposition to this project. I hope that the new administration will finally listen to the concerns of our community and will relocate this garbage station to another location.”
President of Bay Democrats and community activist Ben Akselrod stated, “People of the Southern Brooklyn suffered a lot after Superstorm Sandy. Now they need clean and safe environment more than ever. The proposed Gravesend garbage transfer station creates an additional and unnecessary burden to families and small businesses that are still rebuilding after Sandy.”
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz stated, “To build this garbage station, the City will need to dredge the bottom of Gravesend Bay, releasing extremely toxic chemicals not only into Gravesend Bay, but into the surrounding waters of Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach as well. These toxic chemicals could then be dispersed onto shore, into our homes, small businesses, schools, and public parks. When we have another large coastal storm that causes flooding. The people of Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, and Brighton Beach are still suffering from Superstorm Sandy. They are still trying to rebuild their lives. We don’t need the City building a garbage station facility along Gravesend Bay. This facility will adversely impact all of southern Brooklyn, and for that reason I am opposed to it.”
Assemblyman and Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus Karim Camara asserted, “While it’s important that the City comes up with a fair plan for waste removal, all the facts must be considered when choosing sites. The Gravesend location may have sounded like a good idea over ten years ago–before Sandy and before all the data was in regarding the toxins in the bay. However, it’s now in the best interest of the City to re-evaluate the entire five borough waste management plan using all available data before moving forward.”
S.T.R.O.N.G. – “DUMP THE DUMP” Coalition Members
Elected Officials & Community Leaders
Assembly Member William Colton (47th Assembly District – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, & Dyker Heights)
Council Member Mark Treyger (47th Council District – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Coney Island, & Seagate)
Council Member Vincent Gentile (43rd Council District – Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge & Fort Hamilton)
Council Member David Greenfield (44th Council District – Borough Park, Midwood, & Bensonhurst)
Kings County Democratic Party County Chair & District Leader Frank Seddio (59th Assembly District – Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, Flatlands, & Canarsie)
Council Member Alan Maisel (46th Council District – Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, Flatlands, & Canarsie)
Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny (46th Assembly District – Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights)
District Leader Jeannette Givant (47th Assembly District – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, & Dyker Heights)
District Leader Charles Ragusa (47th Assembly District – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, & Dyker Heights)
District Leader Ari Kagan (45th Assembly District- Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Homecrest, & Midwood)
District Leader Kevin Peter Carroll (64th Assembly District – Bay Ridge & Fort Hamilton)
Community Activist Ben Akselrod, President of the Bay Democrats (Representing Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, & Homecrest)|
Congressman Michael Grimm (11th Congressional District – Staten Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Gravesend, Bensonhurst, & Sheepshead Bay)
State Senator Marty Golden (22nd State Senate District – Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Marine Park, Manhattan Beach, & Gerritsen Beach)
District Leader Jesse Hamilton (43rd Assembly District – Crown Heights & Prospect Lefferts Gardens)
Community Activist Jamie Kemmerer, Executive Director of the Bay Ridge Democrats (Representing Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, & Dyker Heights)
Assembly Member Karim Camara (43rd Assembly District – Crown Heights & Prospect Lefferts Gardens)
Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz (45th Assembly District – Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Homecrest, & Midwood)
State Senator Diane Savino (23rd State Senate District – North Shore, Staten Island & Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, & Gravesend, Brooklyn)
Community Activist Roxanne Persaud, President of 69th Police Precinct Community Council (Canarsie, Bergen Beach, Mill Basin, Georgetown)
Community Organizations & Civic Groups
Bensonhurst West End Community Council
United Chinese Association of Brooklyn
Marlboro Houses Residents Association
Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church
United Progressive Democratic Club
Pledge2Protect
St. Francis Cabrini Roman Catholic Church
Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst (JCH)
St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church
Brooklyn Democrats for Change
Brooklyn USA Basketball
No Spray Coalition
WakeUp & Smell the Garbage
National Resources Protective Association (NRPA)
Block Institute
Bay Ridge Democrats
Federation of Italian-American Organizations – Brooklyn
Community Education Council – District 21
Community Education Council – District 20
Southern Brooklyn Democrats
Aidone Social Cultural Association
ASU of New York
Castellamare del Golfo – USA, Inc.
Sephardic Multi-Service Senior Citizens Center
Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church
United Federation of Teachers
Parkville Youth Sports Association
Carey Gardens Houses Residents Association
Coney Island Board of Trade
Onora Italian Ministry – Most Precious Blood
Most Precious Blood Golden Age Club
Rosa Parks Independent Democratic Organization
St. Mary Mother of Jesus Golden Age Club
Bay Democrats
St. Francis Cabrini Golden Age Club
Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club
Brooklyn Young Democrats
Unity Towers Residents Association
Our Lady of Grace Golden Age Club
United Progressive Young Democrats Club
Urban Neighborhood Services
Sea Gate Homeowners Association
Thomas Jefferson Young Democrats Club
Gravesend Houses Tenants Association
Coney Island Generation Gap
Brooklyn Greens
Our Lady of Grace Teen Group
The People’s Coalition of Coney Island
Asian Community United Society
