Give Us Your Garbage

The New York Times / June19, 2005

LAST week, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg vetoed the City Council's rejection of marine transfer stations, a cornerstone of his solid waste management plan. Let's hope that the Council doesn't override his veto.

Why? Because, by getting trucks off city streets, the mayor's plan is a big step forward. Opening the waterfront to marine garbage transfer can cut solid waste truck traffic in half, taking millions of truck miles a year off city streets.

But to allay community concerns about the impact of marine transfer stations on waterfront neighborhoods, city leaders should take one more step as the plan moves ahead.

Mayor Bloomberg's proposal involves rebuilding four marine stations and thus shifting much of the transport of garbage from trucks to barges. The plan would eventually cut costs, ease truck congestion and reduce the health risks associated with traffic and pollution.

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