BY SANDERS KENNEDY
On a rainy Tuesday, Nov. 26, in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, local residents and elected officials came together to express their concerns about a concrete recycling facility on the Columbia Street waterfront. They urged that the Department of Transportation (DOT) relocate the facility to prevent further problems for the community.
In February, the plant was unexpectedly relocated from the South Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park to the Columbia Street Waterfront neighborhood. The move was initially intended to be temporary, to make space for the construction of offshore wind infrastructure. According to Council Member Shahana Hanif, who represents the Columbia Waterfront neighborhood, the plant was supposed to stay there for less than two years.
“This facility opened without warning back in February, with no notice to residents, businesses or elected officials. Since then, the impact has been devastating,” said Hanif. “Neighbors have reported a dangerous increase in truck traffic, constant noise and vibration that shake their homes.” She added, “but most troubling of all, the dust pollution has been coating our homes, our vehicles, and our streets for months. This is not just an inconvenience; this is a health crisis.”
During Hanif’s visit to the facility in July, the agency assured her that the site was being sprayed down with water to contain the dust. She now believes that this is not the case.
“It’s clear that that was not happening. Given the high winds and extreme dryness, we know this facility needs to be shut down because no matter what they spray on this site it will not protect this community,” Hanif said.
New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes acknowledged that Columbia Street already has a history of “poor air quality” that is affecting local residents and believes that the facility is making the situation worse.
“There’s a reason why we call this long stretch of highway in the neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn ‘Asthma Alley,’ because the air quality here is already bad,” said Gounardes. “We already know that people are suffering from respiratory illnesses. We are now compounding that with this plant continuing to operate the way it is. Their efforts so far have failed.”
William Brattle and Molly Pierson, who have lived across the street from the waterfront for over 10 years, are among several residents who said that the vibration from the construction has caused their home to shake aggressively. As a result, Brattle and Pierson had to have an architect visit three times to ensure their home is safe to live in.
“Our building shakes to such a tremendous degree we had to have the architect come in and look at it,” said Pierson. “It’s terrifying, we can’t sleep at night.” Brattle added, “They might have to take out the floor and ceiling to check the joists to make sure it’s still sturdy.”
Since the facility moved into the area, Brattle claimed that he and Pierson have experienced respiratory issues for the first time in their lives. While he’s unsure if the plant is the cause, it leaves them questioning the possibility.
“I had two upper respiratory infections in the last four months, having never had one in the previous 47 years,” said Brattle. “She’s (Pierson) had bronchitis for the last two months, having never had bronchitis in her entire life. Maybe (the facility) is part of it, maybe not, but we shouldn’t be the ones having to guess and wonder about this.”
Assembly member Jo Anne Simon called for the plant to be shut down immediately. “Tomorrow couldn’t be soon enough to shut this facility down,” she said. The dust “was spreading six or seven blocks, and everyone knows particulate matter is not good for your lungs.”
Following Hanif’s letter to the DOT in September calling for stronger dust mitigation, she, Senator Gounardes, and other elected officials sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams Tuesday night, urging him to shut down the facility and relocate it to a non-residential area by the end of the year at the latest.
The DOT released a statement later that day to reassure those living in the affected area that protective measures would be implemented to address the reported concerns. The statement highlighted that concrete recycling plays a key role in the NYC DOT’s efforts to enhance safety and accessibility.
In response to community feedback, the DOT emphasized their commitment to public safety, noting, “Concrete recycling is an important part of NYC DOT’s safety and accessibility work, and this plant was relocated temporarily to accommodate the city’s critical, climate-saving offshore wind operations. We are taking all the necessary steps to keep the public safe—though in response to community feedback, NYC DOT will be taking new measures to decrease the size of the recycled material piles in this plant and further reduce dust and noise.”