The following information was given to YWN by Community Board 12 regarding the garbage disaster, which has left mountains of garbage on some streets in Boro Park.
The Sanitation Department halted collection on Monday March 13th for storm preparation. Although they were collecting garbage on Sunday the 12th in other parts of the district because of the impending storm, in the Boro Park section of the district collection was stopped due to the Purim Holiday. They have been working in split shifts (around the clock from 7:00am to 7:00pm and 7:00pm to 7:00am) since Monday the 13th and will continue to do so till all the garbage is picked up.
Collection operations were resumed on Thursday the 16th on a limited basis due to some of the equipment and manpower still being used for spreaders and finishing up snow cleanup (crosswalks, hydrants, bus stops, salt spreading, etc.).
Since this Sunday, the entire fleet has been working extremely hard to catch up with the garbage accumulation. Due to the accumulation, sanitation workers can’t clear their routes with only one pass; they have to go back 3 or 4 times till they can clear their route.
As this message goes out, they are working on the day shift to clear sections 4, 5 and 6 of the district (Section 4 is Dahill Road to 61st Street, from 16th Avenue to 21st Avenue – Section 5 is Caton Ave to Avenue F, from 36th Street to Coney Island Avenue – Section 6 is from 21st Avenue to Coney Island Avenue, from Elmwood Avenue to Avenue P).
Tonight they are expecting to start clearing sections 1, 2 and 3 (these 3 sections are comprised of the area from 36th Street to 61st Street, from 8th Avenue to 16th Avenue).
We have been informed by Sanitation that by Saturday each residence in the entire district will have been touched at least once. We encourage all residents that if by the end of Saturday they have not been picked up, to please call our office at 718-851-0800 to let us know.
We would like to thank the Department of Sanitation for their hard work during the snow storm and for their continued hard work during its aftermath. We also would like to thank them in advance for the hard work they already pledged to do during the next couple of weeks for the extra Passover cleanup.
Yidel Perlstein – Chairperson
Barry Spitzer – District Manager
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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3 Responses
Aside from mountains of garbage bags, there is loose garbage blowing all around the streets of Boro Park. The weather is obviously a factor. It would be (typical DeBlasio) criminal to begin writing citations for sanitation violations when this stuff is going where the weather takes it, and not the fault of anyone. There is even trash blowing up onto trees and power lines. That would require other crews, but it is reality that the department needs to contend with.
As for their statement of hitting every street at least once, I am unsure of that claim. I have not seen a garbage truck on my streets for over a week, besides plows and sanders.
We reallly need to do something about the unhealthy levels of garbage in Boro Park 365 days a year, not just on the “snow days”. It’s horrible to see such a special place defiled constantly with such huge numbers of garbage bags, dumped out on the street for drivers and pedestrians to have to look at and wade though.
Excuse my typos in the above missive. Mainly due to intoxication from garbage fumes.