Garbage transfer facility on Upper East Side?

Sorry..am referring to the proposed facility near the Asphalt Green on East 91st and York

Waste transfer station at 90th street correct?

Gonna happen unless Bloomy gets defeated. Impact is only in the immediate vacinity b/c of the 'garbage truck line up' to dump. The smell is another issue. I investigated this about a year ago wrt a property on EEA. It's been in a bit of a stall but, the long of the short of it is the Mayor wants it and, it's gonna be A LOT of garbage. Here's a tid-bit I remember from my research...fresh garbage doesn't smell that much, it's rotting garbage that smells and if it's any conselation...the garbage is fresh.

rodents.

Falco...what were your conclusions about stench/inconvenience as it relates to EEA?

curbed has had lots of posts on this topic years ago when posting on curbed was more popular.

I think it's a Bloomberg bluff so he can seem nominally egalitarian, and it'll never get built, and never was going to get built.

the garbage trucks have been lining up in that neighborhood for years, have they not? I agree that it may be a bluff, but seeing all those trash vehicles in one place is already a downer.

Saw this posted on another thread...
http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/east-side-electeds-express-extreme-disappointment-over-dec-marine-transfer-station-dec

Looks like this may actually happen and the funding is now in place. http://www.dnainfo.com/20110606/upper-east-side/east-91st-street-garbage-dump-fight-heats-up

This can't be good for the neighbourhood...

No bites yet? Does nobody live in (or at least care about!) the UES?

it's awful. what kind of bites are you looking for? it's awful and disgusting.

The people care about the UES, but not about Yorkville.

Just wondering whether it will actually go through. We looked at a couple of the buildings on East End Avenue which is quite pretty up there. If this goes through, what will the impact be on pricing? How likely is it that they will get through this time?

imo, the transfer station will happen & RE values will be effected. So, if you're worried about this, steer clear of that area.

i agree with dwell. it really does seem like it's going to happen this time. i doubt that it will affect properties below 86th street that much, but i wouldn't be rushing to buy on EEA or york right now. prices haven't been very strong in the area to begin with.

Hey ar!!

I saw a lady interviewed on NY1. She's lived in the area for a long time & recalled that many years ago, when that transfer station (or what ever it was at that time) was active, she'd have to close all her windows when the wind changed directions cuz it stunk. So, I'm sorry for all those who currently own in that area. But, if you don't own there, don't buy there.

asphalt green is there. it's just gross.

How far south & east do you need to live to avoid the stench from this facility?

Make that south & west, sorry.

So it really will be as bad as we feared. Lots of houses came on sale after it was announced.

It's going to be a 24 hour a day facility. I'm not sure what that will exactly mean. I think you have to consider not just the transfer station but the numerous trucks filled with waste that will be idling in the neighborhood. To discuss the smell is all conjecture. My guess is that from 86 and York all the way to the station it's going to be stinky. In the winter I think stinky as in what went bad in the fridge. Summer stinky like...anyone smell dead bodies?

yorkville is the UES !

I doubt that the powers that be will want to entertain people at Gracie Mansion when it smells like garbaaaage.

Damn! I guess that's what happens when they mayor doesn't live in Gracie Mansion. Wonder what the people at 170 and 180 are going to do.

marco,
that's the whole point.
waste transfer stations in fancy hoods and low end hood alike!
if the Mayor of NYC has to deal with the stinkiness outside his house...everyone does.
the powers that be live by the rule of the land. garbage got to made, and hauled away...stinky business.

I'd guess property values will be decimated. I was planning to bid on a place on 83rd & York, but backed out when I saw this plan. If I owned near there I'd put my place up for sale immediately as there's no sense in gambling it won't get built, especially given the news flow recently. If you lose that bet it'll be too late to sell.

When will know for sure? Will it be on 30th June when the budget is passed?

What happened in the West Village when the Gansevoort St. garbage transfer station was OK'd?

I heard that buildings in the immediate vicinity witnessed declines of 30% but I can't substantiate that.

from the february community bulletin from Jessica Lappin

MTS Update

On January 25th, the city issued a request for bids to build the Marine Transfer Station at 91st Street. Clearly, the city jumped the gun—it doesn’t have the necessary permits to begin construction. The Army Corp of Engineers is still reviewing the permit request and mitigation plan for the MTS, and has indicated the environmental data provided by the city is insufficient. There are also two pending lawsuits involving the proposed garbage station.

Asking for bids to build this ill-conceived dump is premature. I wrote a letter to the Department of Sanitation with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and other East Side officials opposing this request.

I also joined Assemblyman Micah Kellner in demanding updated cost estimates for the project. The public deserves to know how much the city plans to spend on a garbage dump while it struggles to balance the budget.

Our fight is not over. A garbage dump doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood, and we’ll continue working until the Mayor trashes this plan.

In case you haven't noticed there are fewer and fewer non-residential neighborhoods in NY to choose from. And sometimes the wealthier neighborhoods have to take it on the chin for the sake of progressive ideals.

Marco....I feel your pain brother.
I am an UES lifer and a big fan of EEA. I have missed out on 2 places at 180, which is an all time fav of mine along with Henderson house. They ARE going to be off loading 5800 tons of waste daily when this station is complete. All the king's lawyers and all the king's men will be sniffing garbage again. The big Q. Is, how bad will it be. All you have to do is kill a morning and head over to the WTS on the west side and hang out for 1 minute.
Eyes tells lies but the nose knows!

Its not a done deal yet. theyre also putting one in the meat packing district. How come no one wonders how thats going to affect night life and all that lovely outdoor dining ??

What? So your response to a garbage transfer station in your neighborhood is that there's also going to be one in someone else's neighborhood? Is that some sort of balance feng shui that helps negate the odor on East 91st Street?

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-asphalt-green-station-022812,0,6523921.story

You know I'm rooting your way but..........

Perception has a way of ruling the day. In any great society you have class level, real or imagined. When it comes to waste we are all about equal. This is about the perception of the UES. In fact it really only screws north Yorkville. A small sacrifice to the Gods of false equality. On a sad note, viewed a beautiful 2 bedroom at 180 EEA with a breath taking view of the WTS. (Literally and figuratively)
Yorkville is the hood that did no one wrong. Out of the way, inconvenient, poor shopping and services, a hike to anywhere, wiseass private girl's schools. Yorkville was to the upper east side what Nicole is to the Kardashians. Dropping a 24/7 WTS cavalcade of garbage trucks would be like putting Nicole on an intentionally spicy diet of gassy foods while restricting her bathing and personal hygiene.

It's just not fair.

As we continue our battle against the building of a Marine Transfer Station (MTS) at East 91st Street, I want to be sure that you are aware of a dynamic group that was formed last year to fight against the MTS. The group is called Residents For Sane Trash Solutions. Some of you may already be aware of their efforts, but in case you are not, their website is: http://sanetrash.org. The website provides a detailed history of the MTS, why it doesn't belong in a residential neighborhood, and what you can do to help.

In addition, Residents for Sane Trash Solutions has created two compelling videos that you can view here: http://sanetrash.org/portfolio/video/

I am thrilled that this effective, hardworking, organized, goal-oriented group has been formed and I am pleased that they are working with me, other elected officials, community leaders and area residents to stop the construction of a garbage dump at East 91st Street.

Sincerely,
Jessica Lappin

btwn this and the 2nd avenue subway, it's no shock that yorkville has been so weak, even while some nabes have had decent bounces since 2009-10

I would expect the same positive response that those who opposed the second ave subway.
At best they will lisyen and feel your pain.
The garbage has got to go somewhere.

That is a beautiful house. What is that out back

'it's an old abandoned airstrip'........

It's abandoned? I'll buy two homes.....

That's a beautiful view of the ocean...... I'll buy two right on the beach....

Girl please. I got no disease let me take this bag off. 'oh okay'

i thought they wanted to move this to e73?

youy never ever know...

MTS Update: Captain Sully on Our Side

We’ve recently gained an important ally in our fight against the 91stStreet Marine Transfer Station—Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot. Captain Sully has spoken out against the Mayor’s plans to build a garbage dump in both Yorkville and College Point, Queens, because these bird-attracting facilities could pose a risk to nearby airports.

He recently told CBS This Morning “It’s a bad idea to build near an airport anything that’s likely to attract birds, including trash facilities,” mentioning the East 91st Street and College Point stations by name. Captain Sully is a national hero who could shine a light on our cause, and we’re trying to get him to visit the proposed 91st Street site and aid us further in the fight against it.

From Jessica Lappin

Some facts:

- College Point had an MTS that was operating at that site for 50 years, without state-of-the-art standards. The FAA concluded that the new MTS at that site is compatible with safe airport operations in 2008.

- The distance between the College Point site and LGA at its nearest is 0.4 miles (8 Manhattan streets). The same for the Yorkville site is 3 miles (60 streets).

- If the bird attraction to the site falls off linearly with distance, the impact at College Point is more than 50x greater (density goes down with the square of distance).

Even if the declaration on College Point was close on the "safe" declaration, it seems unlikely that the facts would find a similar facility unsafe at the Yorkville site.

deep down inside i dont think bloomie or the next mayor like the idea of the MTS in yorkville and this may just give a safe out. I agree with your calculations, but perceived "safety" can trump empirical evidence.

Yes, it's great to root for FUD trumping evidence.

Stay out of the ocean, there be sharks, pass the cheeseburger.

Besides, how long do you think it'd take for you imaginary FUD-loving mayor translates your FUD story on Yorkville into being used as FUD + facts + classism for nixing College Point by those residents.

Root for the underdog!

Boo to WTS in Yorkville.
Yeah to WTS in someone else's neighborhood.

In the end it's about perception. Yorkville has the unlucky distinction of being part of the upper east side. Peeps in NYC have a perception of the UES which is as untrue as your perception Harlem, Chinatown, Bed-Sty, Howard Beach, Todt Hill, Broad Channel, West New York, Riverdale etc..
Smack a WTS on the UES and it serves as a visual equalizer. It says, in this town we all take one for the team.
Truth be told, given it's placement it only screws a small section of Yorkville. Below 87TH it's almost a none issue wrt daily quality of life.
If you're not on a truck line-up block and you have no view of the station it's not going to make life unlivable. It's gonna suck for property values but that's really about it. Ask the business owners on Second between 67 and 74 about how they feel about city projects. I can tell you from personal experience...it hurts when I sit down.

Streeteasy is much more pleasant with ininada on ignore.

My sense (based on nothing in particular except that I live in the general area and I've been following the story fairly closely) is that there is not much that will derail the project at this point. It feels as if the opposition is grasping for straws now after so many unsuccessful lawsuits, etc. I tend to agree that the impact will be limited to the blocks immediately surrounding. I'd been looking at apts in both Gracie Gardens and 200 East End Ave and this has made me reconsider both options. Don't buy the city's line that there will be minimum impact in terms of odor, rodents, etc., and even if this can be believed, perception rules the day and property values will surely drop in these areas.

Marco, did you know this was coming when you bought?

I did know the MTS is a possibility. I also know the 2nd ave subway is a reality. At the end of the day people will still live in yorkville and life goes on. It hasnt stopped from people from moving in and renovating town houses thats for sure. I'm willing to bet that any price drop will be met with demand. One mans trash is another mans treasure!

marco_m, I agree with you...I am planning to be patient and to see what happens if and when. I love that particular area of Yorkville and still hold out hope that the real impact (as opposed to the impact on prices) may not be as bad as feared. May actually be a good chance to get a deal in a building I like.

captain sully to the rescue!!

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/sully_trashes_mike_lag_plan_HzkEkIHTJbfqXjXPudBaWL

Water is a big draw for birds as well. Let's drain Jamacia Bay. At least it's a possibility and if it works we can turn our eye toward JFK. Draining the Atlantic will prove to be more difficult but with Sully on your side anything is can happen. We could fill Jamacia Bay (once it's empty of that pesky water) with our trash. Once the bay is full we just pave over, extend the runways, expand the airport and make it one of the great internation hubs it should be. We could also make the ferrel cat the official guardian of New York. Thousands of ferrel cats roaming the city destroying the bird population while keeping the rat and mouse infestation at a minimum. We could geneticly alter the cats to fly. That wouls speed up the process yet create more air hazzards unless...we geneticaly alter dogs to fly but train them to avoid the airports. The only downside is the need to ALWAYS carry an umbrella.

marco, if you can sell at cost right now how quickly would you jump on it?

I wouldnt. after taxes I have postitive carry and am pretty close without taxes. I appraised 9% higher when I refid 2 months ago. 5yrs from now is most likely my exit. Then ill post my case study

I boghtt late 2010..thats the differnce

ok falco, 7 hours and not one positive comment. Well, count on huntersburg to cheer you up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCkrHa-pfY

Trash Plan Price Tag Frustrates Opponents
By JOSEPH DE AVILA
The Wall Street Journal
May 23, 2012

Click here for original

The East River promenade overlooking at Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood. A waste-transfer station using barges is slated to be built at East 91st Street.

A proposed garbage-transfer station set to be built on East 91st Street would be more than twice as expensive as the current method of moving Manhattan's residential trash, according to an analysis by the city's Independent Budget Office.

The waste facility set to be built in the Yorkville neighborhood would cost an estimated $554 million over two decades—a price tag that reinforced the frustration of local opponents.

"It makes absolutely no sense," said Jed Garfield, president of Residents for Sane Trash Solutions. "As a taxpayer it gets me totally irate."

The proposed garbage facility is part of a plan approved by the City Council in 2006 to equally distribute undesirable trash facilities throughout the city. Manhattan is the only borough without a waste-transfer station.

Under the plan, the Yorkville facility would process about 700 tons of trash a day after it opened in 2016. The garbage would be moved by barge to trains or larger barges en route to its final destinations.

Currently, the city trucks Manhattan's residential waste to New Jersey under short-term contracts.

An analysis by the IBO projected a cost of about $238 per ton to process garbage at the new Yorkville facility in its first year. Trucking the same garbage would cost $90 per ton.

Over the 20-year contract for the new Yorkville facility, the city would pay $335 million more than it would have under the existing truck-based system, according to the IBO report.

City officials pointed to advantages of the new facility not counted in the estimated cost.

Keeping the current plan "will mean more trucks rumbling through our streets, polluting our air, and worsening rates of asthma. That is not a cost we are willing to pay," said City Hall spokesman Marc LaVorgna in a statement. "Our plan is going to ensure each borough has some responsibility for its own garbage."

The expense of building the Yorkville facility, estimated at $226 million, is one of the biggest cost drivers under the new plan. The IBO's analysis didn't take into account fiscal, economic or environmental effects.

"We've been opposing this for a long time because it's not the right place for a garbage dump," said City Council Member Jessica Lappin, who represents the area and requested the IBO analysis. "But now we can prove that not only is it the wrong thing to do in terms of the community, but it's the wrong thing to do in terms of our budget."

A push to block the Yorkville waste-transfer station won't be easy. Keeping the current trucking plan in place would likely require approval from the City Council and state Department of Environmental Conservation, the IBO said in its report.

I little kid on his way to school a few weeks ago was hit by a garbage truck. The truck was turning into the the truck lot on 1st ave and 97th st. The kid is in ICU. Imagine when ther will be hundreds of trucks rambling up the streets in that area 24hrs a day...lots of schools in this neck of the woods. Also, Asphalt green will lose a portion of its field for the widening of the street.

But the seagulls will love it.

Maybe more parents will walk with their kids to school.

> He recently told CBS This Morning %u201CIt%u2019s a bad idea to build near an airport anything that%u2019s likely to attract birds, including trash facilities,%u201D mentioning the East 91st Street and College Point stations by name. Captain Sully is a national hero who could shine a light on our cause, and we%u2019re trying to get him to visit the proposed 91st Street site and aid us further in the fight against it.

that's hilarious. bet Jessica Lappin & Co would consider moving the garbage facility to accomodate her neighborhood garbage in a poor neighborhood like south bronx a success. even though it's close to la guardia airport and having the trucks driving much further contaminates the air and creates noise that's not necessary. let's face it, the garbage on Manhattan shouldn't be dumped into a poorer place by truck.

> An analysis by the IBO projected a cost of about $238 per ton to process garbage at the new Yorkville facility in its first year. Trucking the same garbage would cost $90 per ton.

these guys don't understand fixed costs vs variable ones. transporting by water is cheaper than by truck through bridges and tunnels.

> Over the 20-year contract for the new Yorkville facility, the city would pay $335 million more than it would have under the existing truck-based system, according to the IBO report.

crappy estimation given that current truck system works on short-term basis. there's gonna be a ton of savings on energy and emissions.

Looks like the city government has gotten the last federal permit needed for the construction of the waste transfer station. Deputy mayor was quoted that groundbreaking will begin by the end of this year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/nyregion/east-river-trash-project-receives-federal-permit.html?ref=nyregion

>Looks like the city government has gotten the last federal permit needed for the construction of the waste transfer station.

Finally, the people on the Upper East Side can create waste.

never give up never give in....from Jessica Lappin september news letter

MTS: The Fight Continues

For years, I have been working with the community and my colleagues in government to dump the dump. And the fight continues. The next step is suing to stop it.

In response to the recent granting of permits by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we have been actively exploring new legal challenges to oppose the 91st Street Marine Transfer Station. I am confident that we will file a federal lawsuit very shortly to stop this ill-conceived dump.

As you may be aware, there are still other important lawsuits pending. Assembly Member Micah Kellner and others filed a lawsuit during the summer that argues that the city is in violation of the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). His suit also calls for a new environmental impact statement to be done and requests that all planning and construction of the MTS cease until a new EIS is issued.

We will fight this in the courts because Marine Transfer Stations do not belong in our neighborhood or in any residential neighborhood. It would wreak havoc on our air, health, safety, and our beloved Asphalt Green.

Residents for Sane Trash Solutions will hold a community meeting on the next steps in the fight against the MTS on Thursday, September 20th at 6:30 p.m. at Asphalt Green (East 91st St and York Avenue). For more details visit http://sanetrash.org/.

I am pleased to see that Residents for Sane Trash Solutions, the Gracie Point Community Council, and others are continuing to organize and work against the MTS. Together we will continue our battle.

And you shall tell your grandchildren how the 300 from Yorkville held back the the great Persian Empire at the Asphalt Green pass.

I love this story...

next fight is for city to pay for gas masks for nearby residents.

next fight is for city to pay for gas masks for nearby residents.

"Residents for Sane Trash Solutions" or more accurately called: "Residents for Trash to bother only the most poor neighborhoods"

I am pretty tired of the NIMBYs trying to hold up this project. So many lawsuits already, and every single one of them lost. I am actually in the nabe and am not happy at the idea, but do think that every borough needs to do its part. I also found out that one of the main people behind "Sane Trash" is actually a local RE broker...ugh. I also don't like how the opponents are now touting "Yorkville/East Harlem"....as if they really care about the health of kids in the East Harlem PJs.

And you shall tell your grandchildren how the 300 from Yorkville held back the the great Persian Empire at the Asphalt Green pass.

I love this story...

It was the winter of 2013 and food was scarce...

"I little kid on his way to school a few weeks ago was hit by a garbage truck. The truck was turning into the the truck lot on 1st ave and 97th st. The kid is in ICU."

There are and will be a lot more cars in that area, and they kill even more people. Should we ban those too?

"Imagine when ther will be hundreds of trucks rambling up the streets in that area 24hrs a day.."
Slower, loud trucks... much easier for kids to hear and avoid...

This logic is dumb.

Any update on that?

I am sure the whiny nimby folks are still whining, even though it is their f*ing trash.

NIMBY's ... ha ha ha

First, it's a WTS not a MTS.
No marines will be transferred. Waste is transferred from trucks to barges.
Unless there is some new alteration of the facility the garbage ladened trucks will back into a residential neighborhood. This will diminish the quality of life and diminish the re values for the areas directly effected. This is an unacceptable arrangement for those in the immediate area.
The entire process is a bad joke on the residents of north Yorkville.

officially its known as a marine transfer station. and we aint finished yet!!

A garbage truck in a residential neighborhood! No fing way! The travesty!

Soon there will be actual GARBAGE in residential neighborhoods.

How dare they!

Time for the whiners to stuff it....

you sound very SIMILAR to NYCMatt, right down to the all-caps in the MIDDLE of the sentence.

I sense this will slowly swing in favor of the yorkville 300

November 20, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Councilmember Lappin, Assembly Member Kellner File Federal Lawsuit to Block Construction Permit for Proposed East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station

US Army Corps of Engineers Violated Federal Environmental Statutes in Issuing Its Final Permit

Marine Transfer Station to be located in “Flood Zone A”

Asphalt Green Files Suit to Protect NYC’s Children - Construction of New Garbage Dump Threatens Health and Safety of Over 31,000 Children

New York, NY – Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner (D-Upper East Side/Yorkville/Roosevelt Island) and City Councilmember Jessica Lappin (D-Upper East Side) – along with community leaders – filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop the City from moving forward with construction of the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station (MTS).

Lappin and Kellner’s lawsuit – filed in the United States District Court’s Southern District – further alleges that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act in granting the New York City Department of Sanitation the final permit necessary to begin construction on the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station.

Building a new transfer station would require the Department of Sanitation to perform dredging and other construction work in the East River, including the discharge of dredged material into the East River. Therefore, the 1972 Clean Water Act (section 404) requires a permit before construction may proceed on the site. On July 20, 2012, the Army Corps of Engineers granted a permit for the Department of Sanitation to begin construction.

Last month, Superstorm Sandy showed the New York area what the new reality of frequent extreme weather looks like. The proposed East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station would be located in flood zone “A” and would face the highest risk of flooding from any hurricane that makes landfall in New York City. When Superstorm Sandy hit on October 29th, the area around the proposed Marine Transfer Station flooded, doing damage to the Asphalt Green facilities adjacent to the site with waters reaching as far as First Avenue.
In light of these developments, Councilmember Lappin, Assembly Member Kellner and the other plaintiffs are suing to get an updated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from both New York City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to reassess whether a permit for building the Marine Transfer Station is appropriate.

Kellner and Lappin’s lawsuit contends that the July permit was granted improperly and is inconsistent with the requirements and guidelines of the Clean Water Act. Among them:

•The Army Corps needed to consider a reasonable alternative to the construction it approved that would have less of an adverse impact on the aquatic ecosystem. It did not consider any reasonable alternative sites.

•An adequate and thorough environmental review needed to take place. However, as Kellner and Lappin’s lawsuit contends, the environmental review was limited in scope and only focused on the initial construction of a Marine Transfer Station at the site, not on the environmental impact of operating such a site for many years into the future

•Even without such a sufficient environmental review, the Army Corps concluded that the project would not degrade the quality of the waters around the project. Significant degradation would include adverse effects on fish, life stages of fish, physical and chemical characteristics of the aquatic ecosystem such as the substrate, and threatened or endangered species. The Army Corps’ determination that there would be no substantial adverse impacts did not take into account the unique habitat that exists at the East 91st Street site as a result of the site’s rocky substrate and irregular bottom topography, which is attractive to winter flounder. The Army Corps did not acknowledge or consider that the dredging needed for the East 91st Street site, and the dredging proposed at the two mitigation sites, would destroy this topography and adversely affect the population of winter flounder and other species that now thrive there.

•The Clean Water Act required the Department of Sanitation to create an acceptable plan to avoid or minimize adverse impacts on waters. Kellner and Lappin’s lawsuit contends that the plan submitted by the Department of Sanitation and accepted by the Army Corps fails to comply with this important requirement in several material respects. Among them are as follows:

1.The mitigation plan failed to acknowledge, and failed to provide mitigation for, important impacts on fish and fish habitat of construction and operation of the proposed East 91st Street transfer station;
2.The National Marine Fisheries Service’s Habitat Conservation Division criticized the use of the Bush Terminal in Brooklyn as a mitigation site because of its history of contamination. The Department of Sanitation’s only response to this concern was the assertion that contaminated soils would be isolated by a fabric barrier, the effectiveness of which is unsubstantiated;
3.The mere creation of new open water in an amount equal to the amount of open water eliminated by the East 91st Street garbage station will not mitigate the loss of population and loss of unique habitat of fish and wildlife;
4.The mitigation plan does not contain or account for any required standards of performance or monitoring.
By failing to require the City to take appropriate steps to mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts, and by accepting an inadequate mitigation plan, the Army Corps of Engineers has acted arbitrarily and capriciously and in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Additionally, The Army Corps is prohibited from issuing a permit if it “determines that it would be contrary to the public interest.” In making this determination, the Army Corps is required to consider, among other things, conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife, flood hazards, land use, recreation, safety, and the “needs and welfare of the people.”

Lappin and Kellner further assert that the Army Corps disregard the Clean Water Act’s implementing regulations by not fully considering all of the effects of construction and operation of the new Marine Transfer Station.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the Clean Water Act when the permit was approved,” said Assembly Member Kellner. “Our community’s concerns have never been considered in a fair and impartial manner. A garbage dump does not belong in the middle of this residential community. Accordingly, we had no choice but to go to the court – again.”

“In light of the devastation of Hurricane Sandy,” Assembly Member Kellner added, “now is not the time for the Army Corps of Engineers to be cutting corners in its permitting process, given that the Marine Transfer Station site is located in the middle of Flood Zone A.”

“This federal lawsuit, which has been in the works for months, is our next step in the fight against the 91st St MTS,” said Councilmember Jessica Lappin. “In granting the permit, the Army Corps failed to consider reasonable alternatives, failed to provide a proper mitigation plan and failed to perform an adequate environmental review. These are just three more reasons why a marine transfer station should not be built at this location.”

Assembly Member Kellner and Council Member Lappin serve as the lead plaintiffs in the suit. The other plaintiffs are: Asphalt Green, Inc.; The Gracie Point Community Council (brought by its president, George Morin); George Morin (individually); Thomas Newman; Norman Flaster; Lea Flaster; One Gracie Square Corp; and Andrew Lachman.

The defendants named in the lawsuit are: the United States Army Corps of Engineers; Colonel Paul E. Owen, Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, New York District; the City of New York; and the New York City Department of Sanitation.

Last week, City Comptroller John Liu’s office rejected the initial city contract for technical reasons. The Comptroller’s office is now waiting on additional documentation to be resubmitted by the Department of Sanitation.

The Marine Transfer Station will be ten stories high and located right next to Asphalt Green’s facilities, used by 56,151 people every year. Additionally, the site is located within a block of two New York City Public Housing complexes.


QUOTES:

U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney: “In the last few weeks, New Yorkers have had the unfortunate experience of living through the terrible destruction of a hurricane. Just imagine what that would have been like for residents of Yorkville if, in addition to everything else, their streets and buildings were flooded with the garbage from the marine transfer station. It makes no sense to build an enormous facility for processing garbage in the heart of a Zone A hurricane flood zone. I am proud to be joining in this lawsuit; I think it is imperative to protect our communities from poor planning.”

State Senator Liz Krueger: “The City's bizarre insistence on opening a Marine Transfer Station here is a mistake that will create a dizzying array of health and safety problems -- from the adjacent waterway and ecosystems, to the playgrounds and surrounding residential neighborhoods," said New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan). "I applaud Assemblymember Kellner's and Councilmember Lappin's continued efforts to stop this bad idea from becoming a reality."

Assembly Member Dan Quart: I support Assembly Member Kellner and Councilmember Lappin in their lawsuit. The City of New York has a responsibility to the community to ensure that this proposed transfer station be thoroughly studied before any decisions are made. I applaud Assembly Member Kellner and Councilmember Lappin for protecting our community by insisting on a comprehensive environmental study before any decisions are made.

City Councilman Daniel R. Garodnick: "A garbage dump should never be sited in a residential neighborhood, and Hurricane Sandy illustrates why it would be particularly perilous to put one on a flood-prone bank of the East River," said Council Member Dan Garodnick. "The City has been rushing to complete this transfer station, and if it slowed down and did more due diligence, it would be clear that this site makes even less sense than we initially thought."

Carol Tweedy, Executive Director, Asphalt Green: “The construction and operation of a garbage dump next to Asphalt Green threatens the health and safety of the 31,000 children from around the city of New York who use this facility to play sports, learn to swim and participate in other healthy activities. And in light of the flooding Asphalt Green sustained during Hurricane Sandy, it is simply irresponsible to build a dump in a flood zone A,” said Carol Tweedy, Executive Director, Asphalt Green. “As a non-profit organization dedicated to health and well-being, Asphalt Green is filing this lawsuit to protect the youth of our community. The many public schools we serve every day, including those in some of the most underserved communities, and the thousands of New Yorkers who come to us seeking to live a healthier, more fit life deserve better. We and this community have been fighting this terrible idea for almost a decade, and now we have no recourse left but to take action in the courts to protect our children and this incredible facility.”

Why would its flood zone status have any environmental impact whatsoever? The only point to the garbage transfer station is to pick up trash, drive it past the Azure, and then TRANSFER it to vessels that float at whatever level the water is on that particular day.

If a big bad storm is coming, they can alter the schedule, relocate the vessels, whatever.

And then when it's done, continue picking up trash, driving it past the Azure, and transferring it to a barge or scow or spinnaker (RIP) or dreadnought or whatnot.

marco_m Leonidas...don't make me call the "cut&paste police". I'm going to let you go with a warning.
I'm not so sure why a super storm is a problem for the MTS. It's a dock, and a platform to dump trash onto a barge. When not in use, it's just a big empty building and a dock which dictates a location close to the water line. I hate the idea of having it in Yorkville but this tact will have trouble gaining traction. (IMHO)

I think it has plenty of merit. You cant have an important facility in what could beocme an indefinitely unavailable area.

marco_m, really interesting and make sense.I agree, winds of change...

>I'm not so sure why a super storm is a problem for the MTS. It's a dock,

Excellent point. Imagine ... a lawsuit to keep a dock from being in a flood zone. That's funny.

"You cant have an important facility in what could beocme an indefinitely unavailable area."

Wait, now the facility is "important". After you've been railing against it for how long.

Hypocrite.

Whiny elitist NIMBY putzes.

Enough with the bs already.

look_pied:
Luckily, I have a song for that:

"I followed the Mossad
down to Gorky Park
looking for the winds of changes..."

"Moskva", as is listed in the original lyrics of The Scorpions' song was just an attempt to get by
censors in radio-land.

The song is about the big concert, as described in Bill Graham's autobiography.

I was there and the Mossad were staying in and around the hotel.
We knew they were Mossad because they introduced themselves to Bill.
If you wanted to be safe outside, you followed the Mossad...

part of the sidewalk was washed away about 50 yardds south of where they want to put it. I highly doubt this going to get built.

yes its important..wherever its located its going to be a big part of the waste removal process...thats never been in question.

So they'll raise the operations level up by several feet, like this recycling center: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/science/earth/new-york-reassessing-building-code-to-limit-storm-damage.html

bfd

NIMBY a**holes

@somehwereelse
I really suggest you go visit a library once in a while, and get
a bit of culture that you seem to so desperately need. Maybe you will learn how to
debate arguments that differ from your own convictions.
saying NIMBY A$$holes is not an argument, it just seemed you did a search on google
and read some of the commentaries of the parties interested in building the station.

The concerns have more than enough grounds and, hurricane sandy just gave the opposition of the facility
enough ammunition and factual examples that building the station on a Zone A flood zone is a terrible idea. Since when it floods there will be trash all over East Harlem and Yorkville.
You seem to be suffering the typical case of criticizing other peoples effort when you are very miss informed and could read a book or two.

and the fight goes on!!!! - from Jessica Lappin's december community bulletin

MTS Update: Taking the Fight to Court
We’re taking the fight against the proposed 91st Street Marine Transfer Station to court. Last month, I filed a federal lawsuit, along with Assemblyman Micah Kellner and the Gracie Point Community Council, challenging the permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Our lawsuit accuses the Army Corps of violating the Clean Water Act by allowing the city to have an inadequate mitigation plan and failing to properly review alternatives that would be less harmful to the surrounding water and neighborhood. Its review of the site was limited and did not consider the long term impact that constructing and operating this dump would have on the environment. The lawsuit demands a stop to the permit, and to all planning and construction.

Given the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy near the proposed MTS site, the city needs to rethink locating a garbage plant in Evacuation Zone A. It’s one more reason that Mayor Michael Bloomberg should dump the dump.

Here's the Girl you've got to beat...
City Council Speaker Chris Quinn did last weekend, when she refused to back down from her support for an East Side waste-transfer station. Quinn argued, correctly, that the station is key to the city’s five-borough plan to cut truck traffic by making greater use of waterways, and to distribute more fairly the “burden” of sanitation facilities. Historically these facilities have been placed in “low-income neighborhoods of color.”
A Quinn win means Trashville (we need more color in Yorkville...does eggshell count?)
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/quinn_trash_talk_40U6cPT4kwJ5nxWvSGvEOK

trash for trash

One of the other candidates will at some point take the position against her. they get my vote!!

"I really suggest you go visit a library once in a while"
I suggest you visit your spell check key.

"and get a bit of culture that you seem to so desperately need."
Let me get this straight... pointing out lies and bad logic requires "culture".

Sounds like you're just a stuck-up ass who doesn't like being called out on your bullshit.

"Maybe you will learn how to debate arguments that differ from your own convictions."

Genius, what else do you think I've been debating?

"saying NIMBY A$$holes is not an argument"
It wasn't my argument, your comprehension is awful. That being said, it is true... just not my argument.

My argument was pointing out the utter stupidity of the complaints. Horrific logic. Very easy to destroy.

Sorry you got destroyed...

SWE, try a different debate style. It's nearly impossible to follow as you write out the quotes and your response - a reader has to go back and figure out each line where it comes from and the context, and that doesn't lend itself to you proving that someone else got destroyed by you. Rather, what you did above looks like you are having an argument with yourself, and winning 50% of the time.

It comes from one post, all in a row. Really not that hard.

But thanks for noticing that all my lines win.

You should give facts and logic a try...