ABINANTI RENEWS CALL FOR COUNTY C&D TRANSFER STATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2006

Contact: Thomas J. Abinanti
Tel: (914) 328-9000 or (914) 995-2821

Westchester County Legislator Thomas J. Abinanti (D, I, WF- Greenburgh) is renewing his call for Westchester County to set up a transfer station for construction and demolition (C&D) debris.

Abinanti, who chairs of the Westchester Legislature's Committee on the Environment & Energy which oversees the County’s solid waste operations, made his proposal in a letter to County Executive Andrew Spano last week. According to Abinanti, he made the same proposal three years ago but the County Executive responded that there were then sufficient facilities in the county.

“Today's shortage of C&D disposal facilities available to companies doing business in Westchester makes the need for our action urgent,” said Abinanti. “The closing of Metro-Enviro in Croton reduces the County’s disposal capacity by almost 1/3.”

In his letter, Abinanti suggested that the County assess whether any of the existing transfer stations are suitable for C&D disposal as well as identify any possible new sites.

Abinanti noted that Jesse Crell, the Chairman of the County’s Refuse Disposal District Advisory Board, expressed similar concerns and made similar suggestions, in a recent letter to the County Executive.

“The County could perform a necessary service while increasing revenues,” Abinanti stated.