When Matta-Clark made the film, in 1972, it received roughly half of the solid waste in the city, and had long been the largest landfill in the world, eventually. Nearly six months later, on the 5th of September, the City of New Yorkin partnership with the Municipal Art Society, NY State Department of State, NYC Department of Sanitation, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and NYC Department of Cultural Affairsannounced the the . As Melosi writes, "The landfill is a tangible reminder of how human habits and societal behaviors are caught between material wants and valueless remnants" (3). Near the beginning of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald observes a valley of ashes seen out the window of a train travelling from Long Island into the city. Over the course of its life, the landfill created continual political conflict between Staten Island and the city at large. For many mid-century city planners, especially those in New York, any marshland was wasted space. Landfill reopened after Sept. 11 attacks - 1.8 million tons of rubble taken to Fresh Kills. You don't have to think about that trash again, either. Enter Fresh Kills, which consists of a tidal inlet and salt marshes on the western coast of Staten Island. Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your in-box. Of the 292.4 million tons (265.3 million metric tons) per year of trash that the U.S. generated in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, 69 million tons (62.6 million metric tons) were recycled, and another 25 million tons (22.7 million metric tons) were composted. One major issue was Fresh Kills. Organized street cleaning wouldnt appear until about four decades later: in 1702, authorities instructed residents to make piles of dirt in front of their homes each Friday, to be removed by Saturday night. Open. Its construction began in October 2008 and is slated to continue in phases for at least 30 years. Over 200 species of birds have been seen at the park either nesting, migrating, hunting, or foraging. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://www.epa.gov/lmop/project-and-landfill-data-state, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They also must meet strict local and federal regulations in the United States. Fresh Kills Landfill - Wikipedia "How Modern Landfills Work to Protect the Environment." But how did this massive garbage heap become one of the citys most ambitious public projects? 2023 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://bit.ly/32bgSy0, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. from getting into the trash. Yet Melosi renders the gruesome scene with a certain tenderness, chronicling the efforts of the sanitation workers who insisted on treating the grounds as hallowed, and the families who fought to claim the remains of their loved ones. Melosi argues that Staten Island was chosen as the site for Fresh Kills Landfill because of its relatively low population and lack of political power. [19] These environmental assessments are updated on a project by project basis, during the design phase, to ensure that any new or undisclosed environmental impacts are also identified and addressed, Landfill operations and state regulations, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, United States Environmental Protection Agency, New York City Department of City Planning, Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, "Staten Island's Freshkills Park Gets City's Biggest Solar Array Getting Fresh", "City announces plans for solar, wind power at Staten Island's Fresh Kills landfill", "How the World's Largest Garbage Dump Evolved Into a Green Oasis", "Fresh Kills, Once a Landfill, Is Environmentally Transformed", Generic Impact Statement and Supplemental Impact Statement, Freshkills Park: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation information section, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freshkills_Park&oldid=1131130677, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 18:20. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) is managing the project with the New York City Department of Sanitation. After the 9/11 attacks, it reopened briefly to receive human remains and rubble from the destroyed Twin Towers, turning a notorious disposal site into a cemetery. After al-Qaeda hijackers reduced the Twin Towers to piles of steel and concrete, the site was reopened so that rubble from the World Trade Center could be sent there. When I first read this passage, I assumed it was a hallucinatory metaphor to describe a downtrodden neighborhood. The remains of clamshells and oysters have been a common discovery throughout Freshkills as a result. The resources of the New York City . This layer, sometimes called the cover foundation level or subbase, is laid over the solid waste, graded and compacted to the appropriate angles. At about 2,200 acres (8.9 km 2 ), it will be the largest park developed in New York City since the 19th century. Ongoing ecological research projects are tracking some of the changes in wildlife as the site transforms from industrial space to green space. But then my own government decided he wasn't good enough to bury. The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. June 24, 2019. It drains the overlying protection layer, increasing water storage capacity and reducing the risk of oversaturating the cover soils above. Fresh Kills landfill, once the dumping site for all of New York City's garbage, was a place that once terrorized Staten Islanders with odors and the sight of trash mounds said to have reached 20 . In 1964, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) issued a disturbing report, in which it predicted that solid waste generation would double in 20 years' time, and that urban areas would run out of nearby land for garbage disposal. Melosi takes a long view of the landfill's history, emphasizing that Fresh Kills was a landscape with changing and contested meanings as it [End Page 433] evolved from a marsh landscape to a landfill to a burial site for debris from September 11, and, ultimately, to a park space. STATEN ISLAND Fresh Kills Landfill officially closes, set to become second largest NYC park By Victoria Manna Staten Island PUBLISHED 7:00 PM ET May 24, 2022 Staten Island elected officials. In the nineties, a Republican triumvirate rode a wave of resentment into office, with much help from Staten Island. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/gdwmswl.html, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. [16] The Department of Sanitation works with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to meet regulations for environmentally sound landfill closure; it will also maintain operating responsibility for onsite environmental monitoring and control systems after capping. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Fresh Kills Landfill Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The last three parts of Fresh Kills trace the life of Fresh Kills Landfill from its construction to its afterlife as a park space. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://www.waste360.com/mag/waste_fighting_elements_keys, Walsh, Patrick and O'Leary, Philip. The essential design goals are hydraulic performance, slope stability and long term integrity or durability of the landfill and its systems. Instead of cutting back, the city decided to keep on pushing forward and announced that it would use the landfill for at least the next 15 years. Between the start and the end of the operation, the hill, which offers a breathtaking view of lower Manhattan, where the Towers stood, rose more than 80 feet (25 meters). In 2011, the Land Art Generator Initiative announced Freshkills Park as the site for a design competition, LAGI-NYC 2012. The Impermeable Liner prevents water from entering the landfill and forming leachate. In the nineteen-eighties, the population had grown, and anger over inaction began to brew on Staten Island. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://on.ny.gov/3Ifta7W, Oatman-Stanford, Hunter. Its construction began in October 2008 and is . Since 2006, when a master plan for the onetime dump on Staten Island was approved, the citys Park Departments has been gradually shepherding the conversion. "You always knew that there were human remains. Fresh Kills Landfill - Staten Island, New York - Atlas Obscura The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Kurt and Diane Horning were among victims' families to quickly visit the area. But the 15-year timeline came and went, and the citys trash continued to pile up on Fresh Kills. And landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in the U.S., accounting for about 15 percent of the gas that escaped into the atmosphere in 2019 [source: EPA]. The trash production in the United States has tripled since 1960. The tides shifted slightly back in favor of landfills. The decision wasnt about environmental concerns, and the Department of Sanitation was only alerted shortly before the announcement. "This certification is a . Beginning in 2020, Freshkills Park began offering virtual field trips and programming. Locals hated the smell, and potentially infectious medical waste had been found on barges heading for the landfill. New York's rapid economic growth produced great quantities of waste, a problem "made worse by a city landscape short on land and surrounded by water" (37). By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. Chapters 8 through 14 show that long-standing protests against the landfill were bolstered by the environmental movement by the 1970s as well as the growing population of the borough after the construction of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Parks. The dump at Fresh Kills, in Mosess view, was a humane intervention. Human remains were scattered among pulverized concrete and twisted pieces of steel; the marsh was now a landfill, a crime scene, and a cemetery as well. Where do the wealthiest New Yorkers live? Though Staten Island residents successfully fought against these proposals, these incidents led Staten Islanders to view themselves as "the forgotten borough" (69). There are 238 wells at Freshkills that aid researchers in monitoring water, sediment, and air quality. New York comes clean: the controversial story of the Fresh Kills 9/11: the controversial story of the remains of the World Trade Center [14] Capping of the East Mound, which will become East Park, began in 2007 and was completed in 2011. A final count of 4,257 human remains were recovered; the City's Chief Medical Examiner retains custody of all still-unidentified materials at a facility within the National 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. Once the world's largest landfill, Fresh Kills in Staten Island, New York, serves as a burial ground for 1.8 tons million tons of rubble from the 9/11 attacks. Although construction of the winning design was not guaranteed, the initiative hoped to bring international attention to the aesthetic potential of renewable energy infrastructure. The remaining materials at Fresh Kills were then buried in a 40-acre (160,000 m2) portion of the landfill that will be known as West Mound. Learn more about what goes into the process of testing the quality of the soil, air, and water here. A multi-material drop-off station is used for tires, motor oil, lead-acid batteries and drywall. Leachate is the liquid byproduct of the breakdown of household waste. New York's disposal dilemma was not only environmental, but also social and political. Additionally, the USPHS found that open-burning dumps were causing respiratory harm and posed disease threats, and polluted groundwater as well [source: Hickman]. Dumpsters.com. And it is now the only destination for New York City's household garbage. Waste 360. A landfill's major purpose and one of its biggest challenges is to contain the trash so that the trash doesn't cause problems in the environment. The question, for both, isnt just where our trash goes but how it shapes and reflects the world it comes from. films of the late artist Gordon Matta-Clark. Plastic drainage pipes and storm liners collect water from areas of the landfill and channel it to drainage ditches surrounding the landfill's base. A worker told them that during the first 45 days, due to lack of equipment, they worked with rakes and shovels. The U.S. is the third biggest producer of trash after China and India, but the U.S. creates a disproportionate 12 percent of the world's garbage, considering that it only has 4 percent of the world's population [source: Smith]. The Fresh Kills Landfill actively received New York City's municipal waste from 1947 to 2001. For many years it was the largest landfill in the world, although since. The soil used is a sandy loam, selected for its potential to prevent soil erosion and to provide suitable growing medium for the vegetation layer. "Design of Landfills and Integrated Solid Waste Management." (Jan. 17, 2022) https://freshkillspark.org/landfill-engineering/covering-stabilizing-maintaining, McDonald, Juliana. "Municipal Solid Waste Landfills." But the 15-year timeline came and went, and the city's trash continued to pile up on Fresh Kills. A byproduct of this anaerobic breakdown is landfill gas, which contains approximately 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide with small amounts of nitrogen and oxygen. The four mounds at Fresh Kills are the result of over 50 years (1948 - 2001) of landfilling municipal solid waste. These facilities, which are designed and operated to conform to federal regulations, primarily are for the purpose of handling household trash. Trash makes for an expedient metaphor. Aug. 25, 2010. Nearly six months later, on the 5th of September, the City of New Yorkin partnership with the Municipal Art Society, NY State Department of State, NYC Department of Sanitation, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and NYC Department of Cultural Affairsannounced the the International Design Competition for Freshkills Park to source ideas for the planning and design phases of the long term landfill-to-park project for the 2,200-acre site. The Fresh Kills site in its natural state was primarily tidal creeks and coastal marsh. Eventually, cities began to collect trash, but often garbage was hauled to dumps open holes in the ground where it often was burned, creating air pollution that was a hazard to human health. Also, if the pH of the groundwater becomes acidic, that could indicate seeping leachate [source: EPA]. Methane is a serious issue for landfills because it's a potent greenhouse gas, some 28 to 36 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The bulldozer flips the ruined car and presses it into the ground. Methane also is a potential safety hazard, since methane can explode and burn [source: NY Department of Health]. We see endless trash-strewn fields, edged by giant machines; colonies of seagulls standing guard under an elevated highway; a factory resting along a large bay. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://www.dumpsters.com/blog/how-do-modern-landfills-work, Hickman, H. Lanier, Jr. "A Brief History of Solid Waste Management in the US 1950 to 2000, Part 3." Since 2006, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has been implementing the master plan developed by landscape architecture firm Field Operations to transform Fresh Kills Landfill into Fresh Kills Park. [citation needed] At the peak of its operation, the contents of twenty barges each carrying 650 tons of garbage were added to the site every day. Thislayer protects from extreme weather that could cause the underlying layers to crack or heave. How the world's largest landfill became New York's biggest new park, Staten Island's Massive Freshkills Park Could Host a Future World's Fair, Five underserved NYC parks will get a $150M revitalization, NYC parks foresee financial losses at a time when we need them the most, The best Zoom backgrounds for New York City fanatics, How to tour NYC museums, parks, and cultural institutions from your own home, NYC dog runs shutter due to coronavirus pandemic, New York City finally closes playgrounds due to coronavirus pandemic, 7 scenic NYC-area hikes you can get to using public transit. Decades after Robert Moses initially proposed putting parkland on the landfill, the idea started to gain traction once again. The Sanitation Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for New Yorks Strongest, is the official nonprofit organization of the New York City Department of Sanitation. There were tidal wetlands, forests, and freshwater wetlands. A company that wants to build a landfill must meet federal regulations, as well as those in the state where the site is located. But building out the shores also proved problematic, as the new coastline began to jut into shipping lanes. No one guessed that it would remain open for more than half a century. (Jan. 17, 2022) https://www.livescience.com/32786-what-happens-inside-a-landfill.html, Austin Community Landfill. "Typical Anatomy of a Landfill." Once the cell is made, it is covered with 6 inches (15 centimeters) of soil and compacted further [source: Bolton]. . (Jan. 17, 2022. https://www.mswmanagement.com/collection/article/13022150/the-mechanics-of-waste-compaction, Cifani, Sara. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. The layers of the landfill cap include original waste, a two foot soil barrier to facilitate stormwater drainage, a gas venting layer to absorb gas in the soil, an impermeable plastic liner that separates the waste from the healthy soil layers, a geotextile drainage layer, two feet of sandy soil that serves as barrier protection material, and over six inches of clean planting soil blended with native planting mix. 1991: Fresh Kills begins accepting all of the city's garbage. But landfills arent just a record of what society discarded, theyre a record of what a society considered trash. The south branch is Richmond Creek, which drains much of the central part of the island, with its headwaters near Historic Richmond Town, on the southern end of the terminal moraine of the island. Renewable energy is planned both for use in capital projects and for large-scale demonstration and public benefit. EPA.gov. New York City's population was growing and generating more garbage and it was easy to expand the filling operation on Staten Island. In the twentieth century, incineration became the great hope for the future of waste disposal. Queens's 10 most expensive homes for sale, mapped. Ocean dumping, while easy and cheap, faced related problems. Along the site, there are drop-off stations for materials that are not wanted or legally banned by the landfill. This. "Fighting The Elements: Keys To Effective Stormwater Management." At about 2,200 acres (8.9km2), it will be the largest park developed in New York City since the 19th century. New Yorkers Near World'S Largest Landfill Say City Dumps on Them Some of these materials are banned from landfills by law because they can be recycled. He recounts the plight, in the nineteen-eighties, of the Mobro 4000, a barge loaded with trash from Long Island and New York City that was rejected in ports all over the planet. This is how the Parks Department describes what happened afterward: After the FBI, NYPD, and Office of Emergency Management determined the process of retrieval had been exhaustive and complete, the screened and sifted WTC materials remaining at Fresh Kills were placed in a 48acre area immediately adjacent to the recovery site on the West Mound at Fresh Kills. Under strong community pressure and with support of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the landfill site was closed on March 22, 2001, but it had to be reopened after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. But the journey from landfill-to-park took a dramatic turn on September 11, 2001. Rereading Russian Classics in the Shadow of the Ukraine War. These are pipes that are sunk into the groundwater so water can be sampled and tested for the presence of leachate chemicals. By 1997, two of the four mounds were closed and covered with a thick, impermeable cap. The site of Freshkills Park has a long, complex history. These are achieved by minimizing surface water infiltration, preventing erosion, promoting proper surface water drainage, and separating the waste layer from the environment to protect public health. Garbage is deposited by heavy equipment at the Fresh Kills Land Fill, formerly the largest garbage dump in the world, now closed. This layer reduces the pressure of water on the barrier layer and increases friction, thus reducing the risk of sliding.
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