Mayor Announces Support For Waste Equity Bill

WILLIAMSBURG – At a town hall meeting in Williamsburg last night, Mayor de Blasio announced his administration’s support for a bill designed to limit the amount of city waste transported through North Brooklyn.

Intro 495, co-sponsored by Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Stephen Levin, would place a cap on the amount of waste trucked through North Brooklyn. The capacity allowed at waste transfer stations would be cut by half.

Mayor de Blasio stated the “unbelievable fact” that nearly 40% of all garbage created citywide is transported to North Brooklyn. “It’s not acceptable, and it has to change,” said the mayor.

The bill was introduced in 2014, but has yet to make it out of the committee.

The Mayor cited alternatives, such as the Hamilton Marine Transfer Station, set to open September 5, which is expected to eliminate as many as 100 garbage truck trips per day from the streets of North Brooklyn.

The effects of the waste transfer stations have been felt by residents, who complain of foul odors, rodents, and dangerous truck traffic. On Wednesday, a community group in Bushwick filed suit against one of the transfer stations, citing nuisance conditions and violations of operating procedures.