More modern political nimbyism BS and environmentalist wackos at its best.......
From todays Bergen Record...
"NORTH BERGEN - Fearing a mounting public health threat, state, county
and local officials on Thursday promised a coordinated effort to stem
the proliferation of unregulated solid waste transfer stations along
a railroad right of way in the Meadowlands.
Four "illegal" waste transfer stations, serviced by the New York,
Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp., are currently operating in North
Bergen, and two more are planned, officials said.
The facilities have sprung up during the past two years with no state
permits or zoning approvals and are moving mountains of solid waste
with virtually no oversight, they said.
"We have no idea where it comes from," said Robert R. Ceberio,
executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. "We have
no idea what's in it. We have no idea where it's going."
Joining Ceberio were state Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass
Levin, who is also chairwoman of the Meadowlands agency; state Sen.
Nicholas J. Sacco, who is the township's mayor; Hackensack
Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan; and a cadre of county and local
environmental, health and fire officials.
"This is a throwback to the dirty old days ... when [Meadowlands]
towns were buried under trash," Sheehan said.
The officials agreed that the best course of action will be to move
on several fronts in a coordinated, multi-agency approach.
To that end, Levin said, the group will reach out to the state's
federal lawmakers in a bid to change the federal rules that exempt
railroads from most state regulations.
"The railroads seem to think they can do anything they want without
concern for the health, welfare and safety of the people," she
said. "It happens here and in many other places around the country.
"They can no longer be allowed to operate in an unregulated way,
taking advantage of the people," she added.
The officials said they are most concerned about the possibility that
stormwater runoff will contaminate surface water and wetlands, the
lack of inspection for hazardous and toxic materials, and the
potential for fires in the large piles of debris that accumulate in
the open while waiting to be loaded on to rail cars for disposal in
out-of-state landfills.
Sacco noted that one transfer site is next to a tract where the
township is planning to build a high school.
Levin, Sacco and Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise recently
sent a letter to state Attorney General Peter Harvey, voicing their
concerns and urging him to take legal action "to stop this unchecked
illegal operation."
They also recommended that a task force of state, county and local
officials be formed to address the health and safety threats posed by
the sites.
Levin said she has discussed the issue with Environmental Protection
Commissioner Bradley Campbell, whose agency promulgated new
regulations in November that will address some of the problems at the
transfer stations.
Levin noted the NYS&W railroad has agreed to enter into a consent
order within 30 days to comply with the new DEP regulations, but
Sacco and other officials were skeptical that the railroad would toe
the line.
In a letter to this week, responding to the commission's request to
cease its waste transfer operations, lawyers for NYS&W said the
railroad was unaware of any non-compliance with commission
regulations at any of the facilities. The railroad also noted that it
is working with the DEP to bring the existing facilities into
compliance with the new state regulations, including plans to enclose
the facilities in the future.
Alan Marcus and Tom O'Neil, spokesmen for the railroad, said Thursday
that the sites handle only construction and demolition debris that is
free of hazardous materials.
Taking issue with the view that the wastes are unregulated, Marcus
said, "There's permitting and testing when it begins its journey and
when it reaches its final destination."
He added that the exemption from state laws granted to railroads
under federal law is necessary.
"The reason for that is the train would never get from New Jersey to
Ohio if each town along the way could impose restrictions like you
can't operate at night or you can't blow your train whistle."
Dumping fee increases at Pennsylvania landfills and new restrictions
on the amount of time truckers can spend behind the wheel are among
the reasons that shipping waste by rail to Ohio and points south has
taken off, Marcus said.
"And one of those rail cars gets four trucks off the road, with the
environmental benefit associated with that," O'Neil added.
Levin said her agency is looking into an incident at one of the
transfer stations on 16th Street, where a mountain of debris |grew
under power lines until a line was knocked out, resulting in a
blackout in North Bergen, she said.
"The operators were in violation of the federal high-voltage
proximity act, and perhaps OSHA worker protections as well," she said.
Marcus said that he was unaware of the incident, but that it must
have been an accident.
"Clearly, there would be no intention of being in violation
particularly since that would appear to be a safety issue," he said.
The other transfer stations are at 2200 Secaucus Road, 43rd Street
behind the sewage treatment plant, and 94th Street. Facilities are
also planned at 58th and 84th streets.
From todays Bergen Record...
"NORTH BERGEN - Fearing a mounting public health threat, state, county
and local officials on Thursday promised a coordinated effort to stem
the proliferation of unregulated solid waste transfer stations along
a railroad right of way in the Meadowlands.
Four "illegal" waste transfer stations, serviced by the New York,
Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp., are currently operating in North
Bergen, and two more are planned, officials said.
The facilities have sprung up during the past two years with no state
permits or zoning approvals and are moving mountains of solid waste
with virtually no oversight, they said.
"We have no idea where it comes from," said Robert R. Ceberio,
executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. "We have
no idea what's in it. We have no idea where it's going."
Joining Ceberio were state Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass
Levin, who is also chairwoman of the Meadowlands agency; state Sen.
Nicholas J. Sacco, who is the township's mayor; Hackensack
Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan; and a cadre of county and local
environmental, health and fire officials.
"This is a throwback to the dirty old days ... when [Meadowlands]
towns were buried under trash," Sheehan said.
The officials agreed that the best course of action will be to move
on several fronts in a coordinated, multi-agency approach.
To that end, Levin said, the group will reach out to the state's
federal lawmakers in a bid to change the federal rules that exempt
railroads from most state regulations.
"The railroads seem to think they can do anything they want without
concern for the health, welfare and safety of the people," she
said. "It happens here and in many other places around the country.
"They can no longer be allowed to operate in an unregulated way,
taking advantage of the people," she added.
The officials said they are most concerned about the possibility that
stormwater runoff will contaminate surface water and wetlands, the
lack of inspection for hazardous and toxic materials, and the
potential for fires in the large piles of debris that accumulate in
the open while waiting to be loaded on to rail cars for disposal in
out-of-state landfills.
Sacco noted that one transfer site is next to a tract where the
township is planning to build a high school.
Levin, Sacco and Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise recently
sent a letter to state Attorney General Peter Harvey, voicing their
concerns and urging him to take legal action "to stop this unchecked
illegal operation."
They also recommended that a task force of state, county and local
officials be formed to address the health and safety threats posed by
the sites.
Levin said she has discussed the issue with Environmental Protection
Commissioner Bradley Campbell, whose agency promulgated new
regulations in November that will address some of the problems at the
transfer stations.
Levin noted the NYS&W railroad has agreed to enter into a consent
order within 30 days to comply with the new DEP regulations, but
Sacco and other officials were skeptical that the railroad would toe
the line.
In a letter to this week, responding to the commission's request to
cease its waste transfer operations, lawyers for NYS&W said the
railroad was unaware of any non-compliance with commission
regulations at any of the facilities. The railroad also noted that it
is working with the DEP to bring the existing facilities into
compliance with the new state regulations, including plans to enclose
the facilities in the future.
Alan Marcus and Tom O'Neil, spokesmen for the railroad, said Thursday
that the sites handle only construction and demolition debris that is
free of hazardous materials.
Taking issue with the view that the wastes are unregulated, Marcus
said, "There's permitting and testing when it begins its journey and
when it reaches its final destination."
He added that the exemption from state laws granted to railroads
under federal law is necessary.
"The reason for that is the train would never get from New Jersey to
Ohio if each town along the way could impose restrictions like you
can't operate at night or you can't blow your train whistle."
Dumping fee increases at Pennsylvania landfills and new restrictions
on the amount of time truckers can spend behind the wheel are among
the reasons that shipping waste by rail to Ohio and points south has
taken off, Marcus said.
"And one of those rail cars gets four trucks off the road, with the
environmental benefit associated with that," O'Neil added.
Levin said her agency is looking into an incident at one of the
transfer stations on 16th Street, where a mountain of debris |grew
under power lines until a line was knocked out, resulting in a
blackout in North Bergen, she said.
"The operators were in violation of the federal high-voltage
proximity act, and perhaps OSHA worker protections as well," she said.
Marcus said that he was unaware of the incident, but that it must
have been an accident.
"Clearly, there would be no intention of being in violation
particularly since that would appear to be a safety issue," he said.
The other transfer stations are at 2200 Secaucus Road, 43rd Street
behind the sewage treatment plant, and 94th Street. Facilities are
also planned at 58th and 84th streets.
