On January 20th, the New York City Council agreed to increase the budget of the city Dept. of Sanitation by $28 million to cover the cost of trucking Manhattan, Staten Island and some Brooklyn residential waste to landfills in other states and a NJ incinerator. Originally, DOS estimated that it would cost $55 a ton, but the actual cost has turned out to be $62 per ton, an amount far higher than the price being paid to transport the Bronx' waste by rail - $54 per ton.

The higher cost compounds the insult of increased truck traffic on local streets. Nearly 40,000 more 18-wheel trucks and 148,000 garbage trucks are crossing the George Washington and Goethels Bridges, Lincoln and Holland Tunnels than there were two years ago. Comparatively, the 13,000 tons of garbage that people produce daily could leave the city on 2 trains of 80 rail cars each.

It seems almost certain that in the short-term, the city will continue its trucking policies. On January 19th the DOS began the process of letting a contract to move Queens waste by truck. However, drafting for the EIS for the long-term solid waste plan is due to kick off in February. Hopefully the DOS will come around to rail and barge options as less congesting, cheaper and environmentally more friendly way to move waste.