PO Bell met with the roadmaster of CSX today to discuss the huge pile of trash on the railroad's right-of-way adjacent to Stop & Shop's loading entrance.  There are big problems and we're going to have to push the railroad to get it cleaned up.  I am listing some facts to the best of my knowledge that were relayed to me and other info:

    * No one lives on the site so we're not talking about dislodging anyone.  Supposedly the person who built this lives with his mother.
    * CSX knew about the trash here but we suspect they didn't know how much there actually was.  They knew about the fire but what is troubling they didn't take any measure to remove it last year when the fire occurred.  Most likely there was less trash there last year. 
    * The trash isn't up against their right-of-way and we suspect they don't consider it a priority - much like the other railroad properties that run through our area.
    * The roadmaster stated that he has to complete a report, send it to Florida and they'll have to hire a private contractor.  This will take time.
    * The roadmaster said they did not erect the fence - it must have been Stop & Shop.  He said they do not want fences on their property. (This is disturbing because without fencing a child could wonder on their property.)
    * In order to access the trash, it is likely they'll have to remove the fence and get to the site via Stop & Shop's delivery entrance and possibly use a crane to get to the debris.  This will be a problem because the driveway is private property.
    * COMET reached out to Assembly Member Markey's office and her Chief of Staff stated that it will be made a priority.
    * It was also alluded to that if this happens again they won't be back to clean it up again.

This is the story so far and I'll continue with the updates as they come in.  In the meantime, if you see something, say something before things get out of control!!

Waste Management has come back with a new plan to transport waste by rail which does not require double trucking it through western Queens.  Waste Management will expand their site by purchasing a nearby parcel of land which can accommodate loading of the trains on site.  Private roads between the two sites will be utilized to prevent disrupting businesses that share the community driveway at the original site.  This eliminates the need for the trucks to haul the garbage to the Maspeth Railyard, which is in close proximity to homes.

Here are the details and here is a the Solid Waste Management Plan's fact sheet.

We thank our elected officials for their advocacy and Waste Management for their open mindedness and responsiveness.

Today, the NYPD's Homeless Outreach Unit secured the scene while the NYC Department of Transportation removed the homeless encampments on both the north and south sides of the Long Island Expressway near Hamilton Place.  Neighbors have complained for months about the situation.  The homeless men were not in the camp at the time and no arrests were made.  COMET will continue to monitor the situation and work with city agencies to resolve any future problems.

COMET is a member of CURES - Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions.  The goal of this new group is to pressure elected officials for changes with respect to railroad pollution, emissions and practices.  As mentioned in the Times Ledger, "The group wants both the MTA and the state Department of Transportation to allocate more funds for inspections of trains, redirecting garbage containers to barge transfer stations and for retrofits to the New York & Atlantic Railway’s aging fleet of locomotives."  Federal stimulus money has been allocated for similar purposes in other districts.  We want some of it to come to western Queens to upgrade the LIRR's locomotives to make them cleaner and quieter and purchase new garbage containers that seal in odors adequately.  We also are pushing for more frequent cleanups along the tracks to discourage dumping.

Read more: Tensions rise over boro rail [Times Ledger]