Re: [greenyes] Marine Transfer Stations

[Alan Muller <amuller@no.address>]

At 01:57 PM 8/12/2004 -0500, Peter Anderson wrote:
> Leila Darabi asks:
>     "I am a student at Columbia's School of Journalism researching a
>     story on New York City's long-term plans for solid waste management and
>     the business of exporting trash out of state.
>
>     "I am trying to understand the environmental pros/cons and
>     cost/benefits of reopening New York City's marine transfer stations
>     and converting them into facilities that could containerize waste
>     and make it easier to transfer out of state.
>
>     "Can anyone refer me to experts on New York City waste management,
>     the export business and/or the marine transfer of solid waste?"

Hmmm,

What is an "expert?"

NYC is not interested in coming to grips with it's garbage situation in a 
responsible manner (or at least the Mayor and the Dept. of Sanitation 
aren't), but wants to dump its garbage all over the East Coast.  Bloomberg, 
like many money people, is attracted to incinerators for reasons having 
nothing to do with their merits (few) for dealing with garbage.

I suppose the marine transfer stations seem desirable from the standpoint 
of the economics for the City, as mentioned by Peter, because they *could* 
help avoid Waste Management and the like from getting a monopoly. (One 
might well tend to look with favor on anything not liked by WM....), but 
what about the impacts on the garbage-receiving communities?

So it is a complicated question.....  From my point of view, I don't 
particularly want NYC garbage rolling through my state on the way to 
Virginia, or wherever.

It would probably be sound public policy to not allow garbage exports from 
places lacking serious and effective "zero waste" programs, but we don't 
have the laws in place to do that.....

Alan Muller
Green Delaware