“The final bill before me is Introductory Number 402, sponsored by Speaker Quinn and Council Members McMahon, Comrie, Gonzalez, James, Reyna, Sears and White.  This bill will grant the authority for the submission of a Proposed Final Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan for the City of New York.

“The final Solid Waste Management Plan will fundamentally change the way the City transports waste and achieve our goals of environmental responsibility, economic soundness, and equitability across all five boroughs.  Currently, Department of Sanitation trucks and private tractor trailers export about 84 % of the City’s residential garbage – which totals 12,000 tons a day.  Under the proposed Plan, which addresses both residential and commercial waste, as well as waste prevention and recycling, the City will re-construct four new state-of-the-art marine transfer stations, allowing almost 90 % of the City’s residential waste to be exported by barge or rail.  This will result in cleaner air and fewer trucks on the road.  Over the long term, the reduced reliance on trucking also makes financial sense, as the cost of trucking New York’s waste out-of-state continues to rise. 

“The plan also provides for increased efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling – efforts that will also further our environmental and economic goals by reducing our need to ship waste out-of-state.

“Finally, the Plan will achieve greater equity among the five boroughs.  Under this Plan, the majority of waste generated in a borough will be taken to a transfer station in that same borough, improving the quality of life – and environment – in neighborhoods throughout the City.

“I would like to thank Department of Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, Speaker Quinn, Council Member McMahon, and all the staff who worked long and hard to develop the new Plan.”