Residents of Glendale, Middle Village and Ridgewood Given More Time to Comment on Plans to Increase Waste That Rail Cars Transport Through Their Communities

Today, Queens elected officials representing Glendale, Middle Village and Ridgewood secured more time for residents to sound off about plans to increase the amount of waste that rail cars transport through their communities.

U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Nydia Velázquez, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblymen Andrew Hevesi and Michael Miller, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and Borough President Melinda Katz convinced the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to extend the public comment period for permits to expand the amount and type of debris that One World Recycling, Inc. and Costal Distribution LLC are seeking to ship via the Fresh Pond Rail Yard.

DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens agreed to grant a 30-day extension after the public officials sent him a letter urging him to do so. The agency had originally provided just 19 days for comments. The expanded timeframe will ensure that those who reside in the area will have adequate time to make their voices heard.

"We write today to express our concerns regarding the lack of sufficient opportunities for community input on the topic of waste and rail projects that directly affect our constituents in Glendale, Ridgewood, and Middle Village," the lawmakers said in their correspondence to the Commissioner. "We are concerned about the impact that increased operations will have on the quality of life for our constituents in these communities specifically in regards to odor from open containers that sit idle, the attraction of pests, and pollution stemming from the construction and demolition debris and other waste that are not adequately sealed. It is imperative that the public's concerns be taken into account to the fullest extent possible before any permits are issued or projects approved. We will not support these plans until our comments and the community's concerns are given consideration."

Click here to read the full letter.

The public can now submit comments through August 9. The previous deadline was July 10. The comment period began on June 22.

For the One World Recycling permit, the public can submit written comments by email to OneWorldRecycling@dec.ny.gov or by regular mail to: Mark Carrara, NYSDEC, SUNY at Stony Brook, 50 Circle Road, Stony Brook, NY 11790-3409.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/102124.html

For the Costal Distribution permit, the public can submit written comments by email to NYAR.Coastal@dec.ny.gov or by regular mail to: NYSDEC, Susan Ackerman, SUNY at Stony Brook, 50 Circle Road, Stony Brook, NY 11790-3409

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/102126.html

The DEC will use the public comments as a factor in deciding whether or not to issue the permits.

The New York and Atlantic Railway transports debris on freight rail cars through the Fresh Pond Rail Yard, the tracks for which run along residential communities in Glendale, Middle Village and Ridgewood.