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New York City Council
Oversight - Waste Equity and Environmental Justice
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
Council staff welcomes attendees to the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management hearing. Staff instructs attendees not to approach the dais, to silence electronic devices, and tells the chair he may begin.
Chair Justin Sanchez opens the hearing, thanks attendees for caring about waste equity, and introduces himself as committee chair. He notes the late start time, welcomes committee members and administration representatives, and confirms no one is on Zoom initially.
Sanchez explains that the oversight hearing examines implementation of Local Law 152 of 2018, the waste equity law. He describes how environmental justice communities face disproportionate truck traffic, noise, air pollution, and health harms including asthma and low birth weights.
Sanchez identifies Brooklyn Community District 1, Queens Community District 12, and Bronx Community Districts 1 and 2 as the four designated districts required to reduce waste transfer capacity. He explains the law's reporting and notification requirements on DSNY.
Sanchez cites the 2025 Waste Equity Law Implementation Annual Report showing a 15% citywide decrease in waste transfer volume. However, he notes that none of the four designated districts have achieved full compliance with required capacity reductions.
Sanchez acknowledges progress but says the city remains far from equitable distribution of waste transfer infrastructure. He states that approximately 74% of citywide throughput remains concentrated in the four designated community districts.
Sanchez previews five bills: Intro 30 on city-owned building containerization, Intro 987 on association-requested containers, Intro 352 on rechargeable battery disposal, Intro 401 on public organic waste receptacles, and Intro 1041 on litter basket removals.
Chair Sanchez passes the floor and microphone to Council Member Ty Hankerson to discuss his bill.
Council Member Hankerson argues that DSNY's past practice of removing litter baskets due to illegal dumping punished entire neighborhoods. He explains that Intro 1041 would bar removals solely for illegal dumping, require notification to council members and community boards, and mandate reporting on removals.
Sanchez thanks Hankerson and committee staff, including River Alexander, Samia Schell, and Natasha Bynum. He notes Council Member Hanif joined via Zoom and outlines that DSNY will testify first, followed by questions and public testimony.
Committee counsel asks Commissioner Gregory Anderson to affirm that he will tell the truth and respond honestly to council member questions. Anderson affirms and is told he may begin.
Commissioner Gregory Anderson introduces himself and Deputy Commissioner Jen McDonald. He says DSNY provides free, unlimited sanitation service to all New Yorkers and acknowledges that the waste system reflects longstanding injustices.
Anderson describes the 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan's shift from truck export to rail and barge export. He explains that Local Law 152 required capacity reductions in four overburdened districts and allowed exemptions for recycling, organics, and rail-export facilities.
Anderson says commercial waste zones under Local Law 199 will reduce truck traffic and emissions, projecting a 63% reduction in commercial waste truck traffic. He reports that six zones are fully operational and that pricing and service quality have improved.
Anderson says DSNY contributed to the citywide racial equity plan and acknowledges inequities in service levels and neighborhood cleanliness. He commits to publishing neighborhood-level data on diversion, containerization, rat sightings, and vehicle miles traveled.
Anderson says DSNY agrees with moving aggressively on containerization but opposes Intro 30's requirement that all city agency facilities use Empire bins. He says city buildings already containerize waste and that adding Empire bins everywhere would divert resources from residential rollout.
Anderson says rechargeable batteries from powered mobility devices cause fires in trucks and facilities. He notes DSNY's special waste drop-off sites and safe events but says expanding collection would require additional resources and that battery manufacturers should bear more responsibility.
Anderson says DSNY has about 400 smart compost bins citywide but that utilization has declined since mandatory curbside composting began. He says DSNY cannot support Intro 401's requirement for 25 public organic waste receptacles per community district due to cost and service needs.
Anderson says DSNY already established an application process for shared Empire bins in Brooklyn District 2 for small and medium buildings. He looks forward to further discussions with the council on Intro 987.
Anderson says DSNY understands past litter basket removals were frustrating but that removals are now rare and a last resort. He says he has not removed a litter basket as commissioner and that DSNY recently began updating its litter basket inventory monthly.
Chair Sanchez asks how many private and municipal waste transfer stations exist in New York City. Anderson says there are about 16 putrescible and roughly 21 non-putrescible private stations, plus five municipal putrescible stations.
Sanchez asks how DSNY implemented the required permitted capacity reductions between 2019 and 2020. Anderson explains that DSNY started with existing permitted capacity, removed exempted material such as organics and demonstrated recycling, then applied the required percentage reduction.
Sanchez notes that none of the four designated districts achieved full compliance and asks whether reductions targeted unused capacity. Anderson says it was a mix and that actual throughput decreased for some facilities.
Sanchez asks Anderson to explain exemptions in more detail. Anderson uses the IWS transfer station in Bronx Community District 1 as an example, explaining how recycling capacity was set aside before the 33% reduction and added back afterward.
Sanchez asks why the four designated environmental justice districts were not prioritized for containerization pilots. Anderson says Bronx Community District 2 is first on next year's list and that every district will have full containerization by 2031.
Council Member Hankerson asks when DSNY stopped removing litter baskets due to illegal dumping. Anderson says he ended the practice when he became commissioner in March 2026 and that DSNY now relocates rather than removes baskets.
Hankerson asks how DSNY determines litter basket placement. Anderson cites bus routes, subway stations, commercial corridors, and BID areas, and Hankerson points to a disparity between Metropolitan Avenue and Archer Avenue in Queens.
Hankerson asks how DSNY determines the type of litter basket placed on a corner. Anderson says council members can express preferences and fund specific baskets, and that DSNY tries to honor those requests while maintaining corridor consistency.
Hankerson asks whether truck operators must report missing litter baskets. Anderson says workers should report missing baskets and that DSNY conducts quarterly physical inventories of about 25,049 approved locations, finding about 3,300 missing baskets.
Hankerson asks what enforcement tools DSNY uses for illegal dumping. Anderson says dumping from a vehicle carries a $4,000 ticket, substantial dumping carries a $75,000 ticket, and improper household or commercial waste near a litter basket carries a $75 ticket.
Chair Sanchez thanks Council Member Hankerson and notes that Council Member Maloney has joined. He then turns the floor over to Council Member Carl Wilson.
Council Member Wilson asks about wait times for replacing missing litter baskets after a 311 call. Anderson says wait times vary, that DSNY is systematically replacing baskets, and that the goal is to replace every identified missing basket by the end of the calendar year.
Wilson asks whether the Better Bin design is working given broken parts. Anderson says Better Bins have more parts that can break, but DSNY tries to replace individual parts rather than remove the whole basket, and that they work better in some neighborhoods than others.
Wilson asks whether DSNY prioritizes basket replacements in areas without community partners. Anderson says BIDs often replace their own baskets, while DSNY conducts quarterly inventories and is replacing every approved missing basket; he offers to discuss additional locations.
Sanchez asks for exact numbers of litter baskets removed due to misuse in 2025 and 2026. Anderson says DSNY does not have those numbers and that the practice largely ended around the end of the de Blasio administration.
Sanchez asks why 311 complaints take over a month while social media complaints seem to get immediate responses. Anderson says DSNY treats complaints the same and directs people to 311, and Sanchez urges residents to file 311 requests.
Sanchez asks how to access exemptions granted to companies in environmental justice districts. Anderson agrees to provide a copy and discusses the one capacity increase at the Metropolitan Transfer Station in Bronx Community District 2 for organics processing.
Sanchez asks whether throughput ever exceeded 90% of permitted capacity and whether it was reported. Anderson says he is not aware of specific instances but will check; he attributes citywide throughput decrease partly to Local Law 152 shifting waste out of the city.
Sanchez asks about truck traffic effects in designated districts and about Local Laws 145 and 199. Anderson says DSNY cannot measure actual truck traffic yet but modeling predicted reductions, and that Local Law 145 emissions retrofits and commercial waste zones are expected to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Sanchez asks what other solutions DSNY has considered to decrease truck traffic in the four designated districts. Anderson says commercial waste zones are the most effective tool and that relocating transfer capacity would require rezoning industrial areas or building new transfer stations.
Council Member Lincoln Restler thanks Chair Sanchez and praises DSNY leadership and local operations. He notes that he sees DSNY does not support his bill, Intro 401 on public organic waste receptacles.
Restler explains that Intro 401 aims to place compost receptacles in every community district for on-the-go food scraps. Anderson says smart compost bin utilization dropped 42% from FY25 to FY26 and that DSNY would rather invest in education and outreach.
Restler raises concerns about the stability of compost drop-off sites at farmers markets and about large buildings with trash chutes not setting up composting. Anderson agrees access for large buildings is important and encourages residents to call 311 if their building lacks a brown bin.
Restler and Anderson discuss the value of community compost drop-offs with dedicated composters. Anderson says community composting baseline funds were eliminated in 2023 and that drop-offs serve a different purpose than smart bins; Restler says he will continue pushing for tailored compost receptacles.
Sanchez asks whether more public compost bins in parks could educate residents about composting. Anderson says bins could help but that without baseline funding for education and outreach, access alone is not the most effective investment.
Sanchez asks how DSNY plans to implement the racial equity plan's strategies on distributing waste transfer operations and using solid waste contracts. Anderson says DSNY is committed to using marine transfer stations for commercial waste after commercial waste zones are fully implemented.
Sanchez asks whether Rikers Island could host a new municipal marine transfer station. Anderson says Rikers has only one road in and out, making it better suited as a receiving facility for organic waste by water rather than a truck-based transfer station.
Sanchez asks for updates on increasing barge transport and whether private operators could use marine transfer stations. Anderson says DSNY is looking seriously at this after commercial waste zones are fully implemented and has started conversations about accepting commercial paper at the 59th Street MTS.
Sanchez asks whether DSNY has considered requiring waste transfer stations in designated districts to be enclosed. Anderson says putrescible stations must already be enclosed, non-putrescible stations are not, and DSNY monitors compliance through quarterly reports and inspections.
Sanchez asks whether DSNY receives 311 complaints about dust, pests, odors, runoff, open doors, and litter at transfer stations. Anderson says DSNY investigates promptly, usually within eight hours, and conducts weekly and drive-by inspections.
Sanchez asks for data comparing 311 volumes in environmental justice communities versus non-EJ communities. Anderson says DSNY receives 311 requests from every district but does not have that specific breakdown on hand and can perform the analysis.
Sanchez asks what outreach DSNY has done on proper disposal of rechargeable batteries for micromobility devices. Anderson says DSNY works with FDNY and the mayor's office on fire safety education and is awaiting DEC approval of the battery producer responsibility plan.
Sanchez asks whether many rechargeable batteries are dropped off at safe disposal events. Anderson says attendance is high and capacity is the challenge, with only one event per borough per year funded; Jen McDonald adds that special waste sites now accept batteries five days a week.
Sanchez asks whether DSNY has partnered with other agencies or organizations to host battery disposal events for delivery workers. Anderson says DSNY participates in a micromobility working group with DOT, DCWP, FDNY, and NYPD that addresses safe disposal.
Sanchez asks about the most common waste collection method for public buildings and what share receive off-street collection. Anderson says most city buildings use standard curbside collection, schools use dual-bin trucks, and off-street collection is a relatively low share.
Sanchez asks how much it would cost to transition all city-owned buildings to stationary on-street containerization. Anderson says DSNY is working on an estimate but a building-by-building waste generation study would take years; city buildings already use tilt trucks or NYC bins.
Sanchez asks whether Intro 30's stationary containerization requirements would have effects similar to the M9 pilot. Anderson says containerizing more waste would improve cleanliness and reduce rats, but DSNY is focused on using available trucks for large residential buildings first.
Sanchez asks what factors DSNY would consider for association requests for stationary on-street containers. Anderson says DSNY needs enough material to justify the container size and aims for at least 10 to 15 units sharing an Empire bin.
Sanchez says trucks displaced from the M9 station are parking on side streets and taking resident parking while the M9 lot sits empty. Anderson says he is not familiar with the specific lot but that DSNY has adjusted parking near the M9 garage due to new school pedestrian traffic.
Sanchez thanks Commissioner Anderson and DSNY for testifying. He announces a brief five-minute break before the public session.
Sanchez reconvenes the hearing and opens public testimony. He reminds the public that this is a government proceeding, requires silence, and prohibits video recording, photography, audio recordings, singing, and songs from the witness table.
Sanchez explains that speakers must fill out appearance cards, will have two minutes to speak, and may submit written testimony to the Sergeant at Arms or by email. He notes that audio and video recordings will not be accepted within 72 hours.
Sanchez calls the first panel: Joyce Bialik, Alia Soomro, Damon Gilbert, and Loree McCarr. He checks pronunciation and apologizes for mispronouncing names.
Joyce Bialik, chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board's Plastic Task Force, supports oversight of waste equity and Intro 1041. She presents data showing East Harlem has fewer litter baskets and dirtier blocks than the Upper East Side and asks for hearings on plastic reduction bills.
Sanchez thanks Bialik for raising East Harlem and connects her testimony to the Young Lords' Garbage Offensive. He says the disparities persist and urges continued attention to environmental justice communities.
Alia Soomro, deputy director for NYC policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters, supports zero waste by 2030 and reducing burdens on environmental justice communities. She supports Intro 30 on city-owned building containerization and Intro 352 on rechargeable battery disposal, urging alignment with state law.
Sanchez thanks Alia Soomro and jokes about mispronouncing her name. He corrects himself and moves to the next speaker.
Damon Gilbert, staff attorney at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, describes how Redfern Houses residents in Far Rockaway face dust and asthma complications from the Inwood Material Terminal. He urges passage of Intro 367 and supports Intros 987 and 30 with accessibility guidelines.
Sanchez thanks Damon Gilbert and asks where he is from. After Gilbert says Crown Heights, Sanchez comments positively on Gilbert's appearance and representation as a public interest attorney.
Loree McCarr, Just Transition Coordinator at UPROSE, testifies about pollution burdens in Sunset Park, including peaker plants and the Sims Recycling Facility. She supports the bills and urges passage of Intro 367 to use marine and rail transfer stations and reduce truck trips.
Sanchez thanks the first panel for their testimony and dismisses them.
Sanchez calls the second panel: Shravanti Kankanala, Chris Johnson, Mary Ellen Sullivan, and Rhonda Kaiser of Cafeteria Culture. He notes he hopes not to mispronounce names again.
Shravanti Kankanala, senior resiliency planner at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, says 75% of privately managed waste is trucked through five community districts. She recommends fully implementing commercial waste zones, using marine transfer stations for commercial waste, passing Intro 367, and expanding composting over anaerobic co-digestion.
Sanchez thanks Shravanti Kankanala for her testimony and calls Mary Ellen Sullivan from the Brooklyn SWAB.
Mary Ellen Sullivan, representing the Solid Waste Advisory Boards of New York City, supports more public organic waste receptacles in community districts. She says Intro 401 should involve community composters and that Intro 987 should allow BIDs and associations to request bins for recycling, organics, and trash.
Sanchez thanks Mary Ellen Sullivan for her testimony and calls Rhonda Kaiser from Cafeteria Culture.
Rhonda Kaiser, program and policy director at Cafeteria Culture, describes students in Harlem bringing food scraps to a local composter and using the compost in school gardens. She urges policies that support local, human-centered composting and zero-waste habits.
Christopher Leon Johnson supports Intro 352 on micromobility battery disposal and calls for cracking down on unsafe, converted e-bike batteries. He suggests placing a battery disposal bin outside the delivery hub as a model and says e-bikes are needed but dangerous batteries must be addressed.
Sanchez thanks Christopher Leon Johnson for his testimony and dismisses the second panel.
Sanchez calls Clare Miflin for the next panel and asks if anyone else wishes to testify before the last in-person panel. Hearing none, he calls Clare.
Clare Miflin says waste containerization affects litter, diversion, and public space. She argues Intro 987 should cover all waste types DSNY collects, not just trash, and that on-street containers maintained by DSNY would be easier for block associations and better for commercial corridors.
Sanchez asks whether other cities have used three-part container bins. Miflin says such bins are used in Buenos Aires, Bogota, Europe, and a Los Angeles pilot, and that New York is unusual in using them only for trash.
Sanchez turns to remote testimony and reminds participants that this is a government proceeding. He says staff will unmute speakers and the Sergeant at Arms will give the go-ahead before testimony begins.
Sanchez calls the remote panel: Eric Goldstein, Haley Miranda, and Blaise Backer. He starts with Eric Goldstein.
Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council says DSNY has made progress but more is needed. He calls for equitable sanitation services at NYCHA, passage of Intro 367 to use marine transfer stations for commercial waste, and planning to end reliance on polluting incinerators.
Sanchez thanks Eric Goldstein for his testimony and calls Haley Miranda next.
Haley Miranda, youth organizer at We Say Nos Quedamos, describes growing up in Melrose in the South Bronx with asthma alley conditions. She urges efficient sanitation routes, fewer private transfer stations, and passage of Intro 367 to use marine and rail transfer stations.
Council Member Restler thanks Haley Miranda and introduces Blaise Backer as the final remote speaker. Sanchez tells Backer he may begin.
Blaise Backer, a Fort Greene resident and former BID director, says organizing small buildings for shared on-street containers is a heavy lift. He supports expanding Intro 987 to include recycling and compost and allowing BIDs to enter agreements for residents above storefronts.
Sanchez asks if anyone else registered to testify and, seeing no raised hands, closes the hearing. He thanks the administration and public and adjourns the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management hearing.
After adjournment, council staff and Chair Sanchez briefly comment on the hearing. Sanchez jokes about whether staff heard everything he said.