Marine Transfer Station

Documents

I vigorously oppose Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to build a new Marine Transfer Station (MTS) at East 91st Street and York Avenue behind the Asphalt Green Sports and Recreation facility. This is the only MTS in the Mayor’s Solid Waste Management Plan that would be sited in a heavily residential neighborhood. The proposed facility would have the capacity to process as much as 4,290 tons of garbage per day, sending tens of thousands of garbage trucks rumbling through the narrow streets of Yorkville to converge on this site. The noise of trucks and reek of garbage will significantly diminish the quality of life in this area. It seems the Bloomberg Administration has chosen the 91st Street site simply because a marine transfer station was formerly located there beginning in 1940. Despite the fact that the City often refers to this site as a "Converted MTS," the Department of Sanitation is not proposing simply to retrofit the site and reopen the MTS. The City plans to completely demolish the current MTS and create a new facility that would handle more than four times the solid waste that could be managed by the current station's capacity. It could just as easily build the new facility elsewhere. It makes no sense to reestablish an MTS at this site. What may have been acceptable in what was once primarily a manufacturing district no longer makes sense in a densely populated residential community bordered by three parks. People who lived in the area when the old marine transfer station was operating report that the stench was unbelievable, and that it permeated the neighborhood. I believe that it is wrong for an MTS to be built in any residential community. The Department of Sanitation has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) analyzing the establishment of a new MTS at the site. I hold serious reservations about the DEIS, which she expressed in a hearing held by the NYC Department of Sanitation (see testimony). I also testified at a hearing held by Community Board 8 as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process which is designed to evaluate the appropriateness of allowing the site to be used as a waste transfer station (see testimony).

Ultimately, the ULURP application will be reviewed by the Manhattan Borough President and must be approved by the NYC Department of City Planning and the New York City Council in order for the marine transfer station to be reopened. Additionally, since the marine transfer station will operate on the water, the City will need a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. I wrote to the Army Corps urging them to reject the permit (see letter). I have been advised that, although they have had informal meetings with the Department of Sanitation, as of February 22, 2005, no permit application has been made (see response). A Public Notice would be issued to solicit comments that would be incorporated into the Army Corps’ review process. Additionally, the Army Corps would require a detailed alternatives analysis prior to making a decision on any application for a new MTS. I intend to continue working with the community to oppose a waste transfer station at 91st Street. 

Documents

 6/29/07 - Comments to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in opposition to permit application

05/09/07 - Letter to the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the presence of the MTS in a hurricane flood zone

12/08/07 - Joint letter to the Army Corps of Engineers opposing the issuance of a permit for the MTS

02/22/05 - Response from Army Corps of Engineers

01/31/05 - Letter to Army Corps of Engineers urging them to reject permit

01/12/05 - Testimony to Manhattan Community Board 8

12/20/04 - Testimony to the New York City Department of Sanitation on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

More on Marine Transfer Station

Nov 25, 2014 Press Release

NEW YORK – Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), state and local officials on the Upper East Side and East Harlem recently sent a letter to Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora expressing concerns about a safety plan proposed by the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) for the construction of the 91st Street Marine Transfer Station (MTS).  The letter identifies numerous flaws and concerns about the proposed safety plan.

Jul 9, 2014 Press Release
NEW YORK – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today released the following statement in response to the construction accident at Asphalt Green “When it comes to construction, safety should be paramount. I am horrified to learn that a drill bit crashed through a fourth floor window at Asphalt Green showering at least one person with glass. I fully support the decision by the city to stop construction on the MTS project following today’s incident and it needs to stay shut down pending a full investigation and until safety at the work site can be examined and improved. The drill bit could just as easily have caused greater damage within the facility or flown onto an Asphalt Green field filled with children at play. This ill-conceived project should not be taking chances with our safety.”
Jan 28, 2012 Press Release

New York, NY - Today, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, and members of the East Side community joined to speak out against the City's move, reported this week, to seek competitive bids to construct a massive maritime garbage transfer station (MTS) on the East River waterfront despite the City's failure to secure the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) to move the project forward. This week they joined with other elected officials to write to the NYC Department of Sanitation expressing their opposition to the City’s move (see below).
 

Jul 3, 2007 Press Release
New York, NY – Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) urged the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to deny the City of New York’s permit application to build a Marine Transfer Station (MTS) on East 91st Street in Manhattan.