Sanchez questions capacity reduction implementation and exemptions
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.
And can you walk us through how the required permitted capacity reductions of the waste equity law were implemented by DSNY in each of the four designated districts between 2019 and 2020?
Yeah, so the permitted capacity reductions, we started with the existing permitted capacity.
We took out any exempted material, so that was...
A certain amount could be set aside for organic waste processing.
We gave, and this was all laid out in Local Law 152, there was credit for demonstrated recyclables processing.
So if you were taking in, let's say, 100 tons a day of single stream recycling or paper recycling, that got set aside as an exemption.
And for C&D transfer stations, we set aside any actual demonstrated recycling that they were doing.
Whatever permitted capacity was left got reduced by the percentage set forth in Local Law 152.
So analysis of the waste equity law data shows that none of the four designated CDs have achieved 100% compliance with the law's reduction.
Specifically looking at the waste equity data, BK1 required 50%, but is only at 35.8% overall reduction, including both stations.
Similarly, the 33% reduction, MBX1, is only down.
to 14.8%, BX2 is down to 21%, and Queens 12 is down to 23.9%.
Were any required reductions exempted in any of the four CDs?
And if so, which exemptions were used and for which facilities?
So the way that the exemptions are applied under local law 152 is that those are applied first prior to the reduction in permitted capacity.
And then the remaining amount after the exemptions is what's reduced by the either 33% or 50% based on the community district.