FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 15, 2025<\/p>\n
Press Contacts: Musarrat (Mus) Lamia, (646) 353-4549 | Alexander Liao, (973) 647-5001 Brooklyn, NY <\/strong>\u2014 This morning, Council Member Shahana Hanif led a second rally and picket alongside State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, and local residents outside the Columbia Waterfront SIMS Concrete Recycling Facility, demanding its immediate shutdown. The officials were joined by Columbia Waterfront residents, #Save63Tiffany, and the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Neighbors Alliance. <\/p>\n Despite unified demands from elected officials to close the facility by the end of 2024<\/a>, the Mayor\u2019s Office and NYC DOT have refused to act. The administration cited plans<\/a> to implement new dust mitigation systems and suspend operations when temperatures drop into the 30s and during high-wind days (over 30 mph). However, these commitments have not been fulfilled. Dust emissions persist, and operations continue despite high winds and low temperatures, fueling frustration among residents and local leaders. At the picket, officials and residents spoke about the facility\u2019s poor operations, the DOT\u2019s empty promises for community improvement, and the long overdue need for its closure. <\/p>\n For nearly a year, residents and officials have raised alarms about the harmful effects of the facility, including dust emissions, noise, and vibrations\u2014with conditions worsening on high-wind days<\/a>. These persistent issues have caused significant concerns about air quality and public health risks. Since June, Council Member Hanif\u2019s office has repeatedly urged NYC DOT to implement environmental protections, but the agency has failed to take meaningful action, creating an untenable situation for the community. Originally intended as a temporary site, the Columbia Waterfront Concrete Recycling Facility remains in operation with no clear timeline for its relocation. <\/p>\n See photos from the rally here.<\/a> Attribute to Office of Council Member Shahana Hanif. <\/p>\n “I\u2019m deeply disappointed in the DOT and Mayor\u2019s Office\u2019s failure to respond meaningfully to our demands to shut down this poorly operated facility, which continues to coat our neighborhood in dust and endanger public health,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif<\/strong>. “We have repeatedly attempted to work constructively with the DOT, yet our concerns have been ignored. The agency\u2019s lack of action and follow-through on their commitments have left residents and local leadership frustrated and exposed to ongoing environmental hazards. It\u2019s time for the City to stop delaying and shut this facility down once and for all.”<\/p>\n \u201cFor far too long, the Columbia Waterfront community has been bearing the brunt of toxic dust emissions, noise, and vibrations from DOT\u2019s concrete crushing facility,\u201d said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon.<\/strong> \u201cAs everyone knows, the prevailing winds are from the west, blowing the concrete particulate matter directly onto the community. This has happened before. They should have learned from experience. The Mayor and DOT must recognize that this site\u2019s activities are simply incompatible with a residential neighborhood. It\u2019s time to relocate these operations to a more suitable site and demonstrate a real commitment to protecting the families and businesses who live and work here.\u201d<\/p>\n “We’ve been sounding the alarm on this for a year: it’s just unacceptable to force Brooklyn residents to breathe in toxic dust,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes.<\/strong> “There’s no reason we should have to choose between sustainable recycling and the health of our communities. It’s past time for the Department of Transportation to listen, and it’s way past time for this facility to move.”<\/p>\n “No one – not anyone affiliated with the DOT, not any of our local elected officials, nor anyone in the neighborhood – can make a valid argument for why this concrete plant should be located where it is,\u201d said Molly Pearson, Columbia Waterfront Resident.<\/strong> \u201cNo one has dared to vouch for its safety, and no one disputes that it endangers our collective health and quality of life. The city, our officials, and the DOT need to shut this plant down immediately. It is inexcusable to have it in the middle of a residential neighborhood.\u201d <\/p>\n “I’ve had grey dust in my home daily since February 2024,\u201d said Geraldine Pope, Columbia Waterfront Resident.<\/strong> \u201cI needed to install air purifiers in every room. I wake up in the morning with a dusty cough. I cannot open my windows anymore because the air is now toxic to me. How could our city betray the safety of our homes?” <\/p>\n “We are sick and tired of having our well-being and homes disrespected by the city,\u201d said Jana Weill, Columbia Waterfront Resident.<\/strong> \u201cOn top of toxic dust, relentless construction noises, and dangerous traffic conditions, we are now being fed a string of lies by the DOT supported by Mayor Adams. This is a residential community \u2014 we have endured enough and demand the concrete recycling facility be shut down immediately.” <\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n About Council Member Shahana Hanif:<\/a> Council Member Shahana Hanif represents Brooklyn\u2019s 39th District and is Co-chair of the Council’s Task Force to Combat Hate and the New York City Council Progressive Caucus. Born and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn, she is the daughter of two Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. Shahana is a product of public schools, having attended P.S. 230 and Brooklyn College. Before being elected, she served as Director of Organizing and Community Engagement in former Council Member, now Comptroller, Brad Lander\u2019s office, where she led grassroots initiatives like Participatory Budgeting. Shahana is the first Muslim woman ever elected to the New York City Council and the first woman Council Member for the 39th District. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 15, 2025<\/p>\n Press Contacts: Musarrat (Mus) Lamia, (646) 353-4549 | Alexander Liao, (973) 647-5001 Brooklyn, NY <\/strong>\u2014 This morning, Council Member Shahana Hanif led a second rally and picket alongside State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, and local residents outside the Columbia Waterfront SIMS Concrete Recycling Facility, demanding its immediate shutdown.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n
Email: mlamia@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | aliao@council.nyc.gov<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Email: mlamia@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | aliao@council.nyc.gov<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n