Queens Could Be Answer To Citys Trashy Problem

City officials have called for the creation of a Queens transfer station that could handle 1,100 tons of the boroughs garbage.
The Giuliani administrations rubbish-removal plan would send tons of waste from across western Queens to a privately owned New Jersey hub, which would then convert the trash into rail containers. From there, the garbage will be commissioned to landfills out-of-state.
Martha Hirst, Deputy Commissioner for solid-waste planning said the plan would require each borough to manage its own trash. Hirst added that the permanent transfer station may be stationed in an industrial area between Review Avenue and the Newtown Creek west of the Kosciuszko Bridge.
The proposal is part of Giulianis pledge to close Staten Islands Fresh Kills Landfill by the end of 2001. Under the proposal, which requires City Council approval, the rest of Queens 2,200 tons of trash per day would go to the Sanitation Departments existing North Shore barge operation at College Point. Currently, western Queens sends its trash to a Greenpoint, Brooklyn facility.
Hailing the plan at a City Hall news conference, the mayor called the initiative "a very, very, sensible plan." However, before the new plan is adopted, Queens must deal with the consequences of an interim one scheduled to take effect within the next few months. The temporary plan, which calls for trucks to haul trash to and from transfer stations could spell a traffic nightmare for the boroughs already congested streets.
"I think what the administration did was take some of the heat off Brooklyn," said Borough President Claire Shulman. "Its better than I anticipated, frankly. These are not bad sites." Shulman added that she would pay close attention to the plans long-term progress.