Chapter 12:
Solid Waste and Sanitation Services
A. INTRODUCTION This chapter examines the proposed project’s effects on solid waste and sanitation services. According to the 2012 City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Technical Manual, a solid waste and sanitation services assessment is intended to determine whether a project has the potential to cause a substantial increase in solid waste production. Such an increase may overburden available waste management capacity or otherwise be inconsistent with New York City’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) or with state policy related to the City’s integrated solid waste management system. This chapter discloses the proposed project’s solid waste generation based on standard waste generation rates provided in the CEQR Technical Manual. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS The proposed project would generate approximately 174,028 pounds (approximately 87 tons) per week of municipal solid waste (MSW). Though this would be an increase compared with conditions in the future without the proposed project (the No-Action condition), it would be a negligible increase relative to the approximately 10,000 tons of MSW handled by commercial carters every day in New York City. The proposed project would not result in an increase in solid waste that would overburden available waste management capacity. It would also not conflict with, or require any amendments to, the City’s solid waste management objectives as stated in the SWMP. Therefore, the proposed project would not result in a significant adverse impact on solid waste and sanitation services.
B. EXISTING CONDITIONS DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT SOLID WASTE SANITATION SERVICES Solid waste management services in New York City are guided by the SWMP, which was prepared by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and adopted by the City Council in 2006. The SWMP takes into account the objectives of New York State’s solid waste management policy with respect to the preferred hierarchy of waste management methods: first, waste reduction; then recycling, composting, resource conservation, and energy production; and lastly, landfill disposal. The SWMP includes initiatives and programs for waste minimization, reuse, recycling, composting, siting a new waste conversion facility to derive energy from waste, waste transfer, transport, and out-of-city disposal at waste-to-energy facilities and landfills. In accordance with the SWMP, and with DSNY’s responsibilities under the City Charter, DSNY handles all residential and institutional refuse in the City. DSNY collects over 12,260 tons per day (tpd) of refuse and recyclables, of which approximately 1,760 tons are recycled. Solid waste from commercial and manufacturing uses is collected by private carters, which handle another approximately 10,000 tpd of recyclables and MSW. Commercial carters transport the MSW to 12-1
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transfer stations and recyclables to recycling facilities. At the transfer stations, MSW is consolidated into larger trucks or rail cars and transported to landfills or waste-to-energy facilities outside of New York City for disposal. Private carters also collect other waste such as mixed construction and demolition debris and dirt, rock, and masonry waste and deliver it to construction and demolition debris processing facilities where clean fill and other items of value are separated out for recycling and the residue is transferred to trucks, rail cars, or barges and sent for disposal. Private carters in New York City handle about 28,000 tpd of construction debris and excavated materials. 1 The SWMP includes solid waste transfer stations and special problem waste collection sites in each borough, as well as certain composting facilities, recycling facilities and private transfer stations. New York City’s Recycling Law requires that both DSNY and commercial carters collect certain designated recyclable materials and deliver them to material recovery facilities for sorting and recycling. New York City residents are required to separate recyclable aluminum foil, glass, plastic and metal containers, newspapers and other paper wastes from other household waste for separate collection by DSNY. Commercial entities are also required to separate recyclables for collection by private carters. Businesses are required to source-separate certain types of paper, cardboard, metal, and construction wastes. Food and beverage establishments must separate these same wastes, as well as metal, glass and plastic containers, and aluminum foil. The SWMP also proposes the following three broad categories of action to address traffic issues associated with commercial waste handling: (1) improve conditions at and around transfer stations through stricter operating rules; (2) use DSNY marine transfer stations and procurements to facilitate a transition from a commercial waste system highly reliant on trucks to one that relies increasingly on barge and rail; and (3) reduce private transfer station capacity in the four community districts that currently absorb the largest proportion of the system’s impacts, once the new marine transfer stations become operational. SOLID WASTE GENERATION The project sites currently host surface public parking lots for the St. George Terminal of the Staten Island Ferry and for the Richmond County Bank Ballpark (the Stadium). Minimal solid waste is generated by the existing use on the project sites.
C. THE FUTURE WITHOUT THE PROPOSED PROJECT In the No-Action condition, the project sites will continue to be occupied by surface public parking lots and will continue to generate minimal solid waste.
D. THE FUTURE WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT As described in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the proposed project consists of new retail, hotel, a catering facility, and public and accessory parking on the South Site and an observation wheel, retail, commercial, exhibition and theater spaces uses, and public and accessory parking
1
The DSNY SWMP anticipates and provides for a projected increase in solid waste generation citywide over the 20-year plan period as a result of population growth and non-specific development. By 2020, the SWMP anticipates a daily increase of 2,145 tons or 12.7 percent.
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Chapter 12: Solid Waste and Sanitation
on the North Site. In addition, a new waterborne transit landing may also be developed independent of the North Site and South Site developments. Of these components, it is expected that the parking use and the potential waterborne transit landing would generate minimal solid waste and were therefore not included in the estimated solid waste generation. It is expected that all solid waste generated by the proposed project would be handled by private carters. NORTH SITE The North Site development would comply with the New York City recycling program. Solid waste and recyclables generated by visitors and users of the North Site would be stored and collected in the loading dock area at the south side of the Wheel Terminal Building. Adequate storage areas within the tenant spaces would also be provided to ensure all recyclables are captured. Recycling bins would be clearly noted and provided in appropriate locations within the site to ensure use by all building users. The storage of solid waste and recycling across the site would be managed by the developer. A main waste generator at the site would be food preparation and consumption, and the proposed project would further minimize the amount of solid waste sent to landfill through the incorporation of a compost scheme that would be utilized by both tenants and visitors. Compost would be collected from both back and front of house at all food service establishments and compostable food service items would be utilized where possible. Furthermore, as discussed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” sustainability principles would influence the design of the proposed project by focusing on recycling, minimizing waste, and sustainability strategies for the specification, construction, operations, and maintenance of the North Site, including the Wheel Terminal Building and open spaces. The proposed project would be built to LEED Platinum certification, which contains provisions regarding recyclables and construction waste management. SOUTH SITE For the retail tenants, there would be cardboard compactors and refuse dumpsters that would be located in the main loading dock. At specified times, trash would be brought from the retail stores to these holding areas, and then eventually removed from the site by a private sanitation contractor during off hours. Food and Beverage, Catering, and Hotel operators would collect their refuse and recyclables; during specified times would bring them to a collection area in the loading bay directly below these areas and serviced by freight elevator not accessible to the public. The refuse from food operations would be stored in refrigerated rooms, with all recycling and refuse eventually removed from the site by a private sanitation contractor during off hours. Also, as discussed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” sustainability measures and green technologies would be incorporated on the South Site. The South Site would strive to achieve up to LEED Silver rating. SOLID WASTE GENERATION Based on the solid waste generation rates provided by the CEQR Technical Manual, the proposed project would generate MSW at a rate of 174,028 pounds (approximately 87 tons) per week (see Table 12-1). Because the project sites would remain as surface parking lots absent the proposed project, the 87 tons per week would represent the total incremental increase in MSW compared with the No-Action condition. According to the CEQR Technical Manual, a private
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Table 12-1 Solid Waste Generation: The With-Action Condition Use
Estimated 1 Employment
Generation Rate (lbs/week)
Total, Private Carters (lbs/week)
24 employees 89 employees 32 employees 7 employees 2 employees 150 employees
79 per employee 251 per employee 200 per employee 2 9 per employee 2 9 per employee 3 79 per employee
1,896 22,339 6,400 63 18 11,850
501 employees 121 employees 48 employees 150 employees 162 employees 1,286
79 per employee 251 per employee 200 per employee 75 per employee 251 per employee
39,579 30,371 9,600 11,250 40,662 174,028
North Site Retail Restaurant Fast Food Exhibition Space Theater Space Observation Wheel South Site Retail Restaurant Fast Food Hotel Catering Facility TOTAL
Notes: 1. Employment estimate for Observation Wheel operations was provided by the Applicant. Employment estimates for other project components on both sites were based on employment assumptions provided by NYCEDC. 2. The solid waste generation rate for single office (9 lbs/week) was assumed to be comparable to the solid waste generation rate for the exhibition space and theater space. 3. The general retail rate of 79 pounds per employee that was used for the North Site and South Site retail space was also used for the Observation Wheel. 4. It is expected that the parking use and the potential waterborne transit landing would generate a negligible amount of additional solid waste and were not included in the above estimate. Sources: CEQR Technical Manual Table 14-1, Solid Waste Generation Rates.
carter truck typically carries between 12 and 15 tons of MSW. Therefore, the proposed project would require at most 8 additional truck trips per week compared with the No-Action condition. Although this would represent a net increase over the future without the proposed project, it would be a negligible increase relative to the approximately 10,000 tons of MSW handled by commercial carters every day in New York City. There are more than 100 private carters that are licensed to serve New York City and it is expected that their collection fleets would be sufficiently flexible to accommodate this increased demand for solid waste collection. Commercial MSW generated in Staten Island would generally be expected to be taken to transfer stations or regional waste-to-energy plants in nearby New Jersey, where tipping fees are lower than at New York City-based facilities. There is no private transfer station or disposal facility for commercial MSW in Staten Island. Recyclable paper and cardboard likely would go either to the Pratt Industries plant on Staten Island that manufactures new products from recycled paper, or to other recycling facilities in New Jersey. Other designated recyclables from commercial operations, such as metal, glass and plastic, would likely be carted to facilities in Staten Island and/or New Jersey. Therefore, the proposed project would not overburden the City’s solid waste management capacity. The proposed project would not have any effect on the City’s SWMP or any other solid waste policies. It would not materially conflict with the City’s SWMP, with the hierarchy of preferred solid waste management methods in New York State, or with the implementation of the New 12-4
Chapter 12: Solid Waste and Sanitation
York City Recycling Law, nor would it have the potential to affect the milestone dates identified in the SWMP. The proposed project would not result in any increase in solid waste that would overburden available waste management capacity. It would also not conflict with, or require any amendments to, the City’s solid waste management objectives as stated in the SWMP. Therefore, the proposed project would not result in a significant adverse impact on solid waste and sanitation services.
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