The summer issue of the COMET newsletter contained some misstatements about Waste Management of New York’s Review Avenue project, in regard to public input to the permitting process, transfer station capacity, and truck traffic.
1. There has been extensive public input into the development and permitting of a rail based transfer station at the Review Avenue site.
· Waste Management of New York’s Review Avenue facility was selected by New York City in 2009 as the site for a rail based transfer station to handle Western Queens’ residential waste under the City’s long term Solid Waste Management Plan.
· The plan was developed over a period of many years with input from elected officials, regulators, community groups and environmental advocates and was approved by the New York City Council in 2006.
· Between 2009 and 2011, Waste Management of New York held a series of public meetings under the auspices of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in communities adjacent to the transfer station and along the rail line.
· Through these meetings and other forums, we gathered extensive input on our proposal from elected officials, community leaders, environmental groups and the general public and made modifications to our original plan to minimize the project’s impact on neighboring communities. NYSDEC subsequently approved the Review Avenue permit modification in 2012.
2. The converted Review Avenue transfer station would accept residential waste from only two additional Community Districts in Western Queens. Average daily waste volumes are not being doubled.
· The Review Avenue transfer facility currently receives up to 958 tons per day (TPD) of residential waste from Community Districts (CDs) 1, 2, 3 and 5 and transports this refuse out of the City by long haul diesel tractor trailer trucks.
· The rail based facility would receive approximately 200 TPD of additional residential waste from CDs 4 and 6, for a total average daily volume of approximately 1,050 TPD, with average peak volume of 1,375 TPD.
· The City requires the facility to be permitted to handle up to 2,100 TPD post-holiday peak volumes.
3. Truck traffic in and out of the Review Avenue facility will be significantly reduced – not increased – when it is converted to a rail based operation.
· On an average day, approximately 20 DSNY collection trucks would bring waste to the Review Avenue facility from Community Districts 4 and 6.
· The 20 additional DSNY collection vehicles would be more than offset by the elimination of an estimated 50 to 58 round trip diesel tractor trailer truck trips per day currently needed to export waste from the Review Avenue facility. On a net basis, at least 30 truck trips per day would be eliminated in and out of the facility once it is converted to rail operations.
· Shifting Western Queens’ waste exports to rail would eliminate over 300 trips diesel tractor trailer truck trips per week, or nearly 16,000 trips per year, from local streets and highways
· This amounts to a reduction of 2,500 truck miles per day (15,000 truck miles per week; 780,000 truck miles per year) on NYC streets and highways, with a corresponding reduction in vehicle emissions.
· In total, ending diesel tractor trailer transport of Western Queens waste to disposal sites will eliminate 2.2 million tractor trailer truck miles per year.
· Absent a rail based transfer station at Review Avenue, over 300 diesel tractor trailer trucks will continue to roll on local streets every week to export Western Queens’ residential waste from just four Community Districts.
The Review Avenue rail based transfer station supports the goals of NYC Solid Waste Management plan – to handle the transportation of residential waste in a more sustainable, environmentally responsible and efficient manner.
We respect the rights of COMET and its members to have different opinions about this project. In turn, we ask COMET to respect the facts when expressing its views on this matter.
1. There has been extensive public input into the development and permitting of a rail based transfer station at the Review Avenue site.
· Waste Management of New York’s Review Avenue facility was selected by New York City in 2009 as the site for a rail based transfer station to handle Western Queens’ residential waste under the City’s long term Solid Waste Management Plan.
· The plan was developed over a period of many years with input from elected officials, regulators, community groups and environmental advocates and was approved by the New York City Council in 2006.
· Between 2009 and 2011, Waste Management of New York held a series of public meetings under the auspices of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in communities adjacent to the transfer station and along the rail line.
· Through these meetings and other forums, we gathered extensive input on our proposal from elected officials, community leaders, environmental groups and the general public and made modifications to our original plan to minimize the project’s impact on neighboring communities. NYSDEC subsequently approved the Review Avenue permit modification in 2012.
2. The converted Review Avenue transfer station would accept residential waste from only two additional Community Districts in Western Queens. Average daily waste volumes are not being doubled.
· The Review Avenue transfer facility currently receives up to 958 tons per day (TPD) of residential waste from Community Districts (CDs) 1, 2, 3 and 5 and transports this refuse out of the City by long haul diesel tractor trailer trucks.
· The rail based facility would receive approximately 200 TPD of additional residential waste from CDs 4 and 6, for a total average daily volume of approximately 1,050 TPD, with average peak volume of 1,375 TPD.
· The City requires the facility to be permitted to handle up to 2,100 TPD post-holiday peak volumes.
3. Truck traffic in and out of the Review Avenue facility will be significantly reduced – not increased – when it is converted to a rail based operation.
· On an average day, approximately 20 DSNY collection trucks would bring waste to the Review Avenue facility from Community Districts 4 and 6.
· The 20 additional DSNY collection vehicles would be more than offset by the elimination of an estimated 50 to 58 round trip diesel tractor trailer truck trips per day currently needed to export waste from the Review Avenue facility. On a net basis, at least 30 truck trips per day would be eliminated in and out of the facility once it is converted to rail operations.
· Shifting Western Queens’ waste exports to rail would eliminate over 300 trips diesel tractor trailer truck trips per week, or nearly 16,000 trips per year, from local streets and highways
· This amounts to a reduction of 2,500 truck miles per day (15,000 truck miles per week; 780,000 truck miles per year) on NYC streets and highways, with a corresponding reduction in vehicle emissions.
· In total, ending diesel tractor trailer transport of Western Queens waste to disposal sites will eliminate 2.2 million tractor trailer truck miles per year.
· Absent a rail based transfer station at Review Avenue, over 300 diesel tractor trailer trucks will continue to roll on local streets every week to export Western Queens’ residential waste from just four Community Districts.
The Review Avenue rail based transfer station supports the goals of NYC Solid Waste Management plan – to handle the transportation of residential waste in a more sustainable, environmentally responsible and efficient manner.
We respect the rights of COMET and its members to have different opinions about this project. In turn, we ask COMET to respect the facts when expressing its views on this matter.
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