Town Hall Pushes Against New Trash Transfer Station
By JOE MARVILLI
A Town Hall was held in Flushing on the development of the North Shore Marine Transfer Station in College Point on Sept. 20.
Co-hosted by Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D–Flushing), Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D–Flushing) and State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D–Flushing), the meeting was held in the Queens Library Flushing Branch. Though the room was only half full when it started, the seats quickly filled with concerned citizens.
Meng and Simanowitz have sponsored a bill into the New York State Assembly that would prohibit the construction, development or placement of hazardous wildlife attractant near airports. Stavisky has sponsored a similar bill for the State Senate. Both bills are still pending.
Most of the panel and audience’s unease centered on the threat of increased bird strikes that they felt the transfer station would cause. According to Meng, the transfer station sits 2,000 feet away from the eastern side of LaGuardia Airport. She also mentioned that Congressmen Gary Ackerman (D–Bayside) and Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) have been working with Federal Aviation Administration on the issue and were able to secure additional safeguards if station opens.
Tensions reached a high point when marine scientist and Vice President of the Marine Transfer Station Board James Cervino took to the stage in defense of the facility. He stated that one out of 1 billion bird strikes result in a human death and that while planes are struck, they are rarely brought down. He praised the installation for its state-of-the-art and environmentally-friendly design.
“This will be great for bringing in jobs. There will be environmental oversight. There will be hazardous wildlife oversight,” said Cervino. “This facility won’t pose as a hazardous threat that’s going to be bringing down airliners.”
Reach Reporter Joe Marvilli at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 125, or at jmarvilli@queenstribune.com.