Loree McCarr of UPROSE supports waste equity bills and Intro 367
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.
Good afternoon, my name is Loree McCarr and I am the Just Transition Coordinator at Uprose.
Based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Uprose is an intergenerational, multiracial, and matriarchal community-based organization working at the intersection of climate change and social justice.
I'm here today to testify on behalf of Uprose and the Sunset Park community in support of these bills being considered today.
Sunset Park is a diverse, working-class, frontline community with three peaker plants, the Sims Recycling Facility, the Gowanus Expressway, and a deep history of manufacturing industries along its waterfront,
all contributing to pollution and adversely impacting Sunset Park residents.
We believe that the passage of these bills will contribute to the city's progress on waste equity, especially for communities such as Sunset Park that experience an outsized burden.
Of the effects of climate change.
As data from the New York City Comptroller and Department of Sanitation reveal, the system remains grossly unfair, with around 75% of privately managed waste still being trucked in and out of just five community districts, Sunset Park being one of them.
The passage of these bills will help ease that burden and inequality.
Additionally, we believe that the city must do more to begin using state-of-the-art marine and rail transfer stations to improve route efficiency and reduce truck trips in overburdened communities where private transfer stations are not available.
One barge can replace nearly 96 trips of an 18-wheeler long-haul truck from driving through our communities, greatly reducing pollution and contributing to worsening air quality in communities with the highest rates of asthma in the city.
We also call on the city to pass Intro 367.
Sponsored by Council Member Nurse as soon as possible, which would require the Department of Sanitation to accept and process commercial solid waste at all city-owned and operated marine and rail transfer stations,
as well as seize expanding waste management solutions like anaerobic co-digestion as city waste resource recovery facilities.
Thank you.