Backlog of Garbage to be Moved Out by Rail

In other LIRR-related news, a temporary deal is in place among several private companies in the trash business to move some 10,000 tons of garbage from various facilities on the East End off of Long Island by rail.  A shortage of flatbed trucks coming to Long Island has resulted in waste managed by Progressive Waste Solutions at facilities in Holtsville and Yaphank piling up to alarming levels. As of last Friday, officials were just waiting to get the final authorization from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to move the trash off Long Island by rail.

Under the plan, garbage generated in the towns of Southampton, East Hampton, and Southold would be hauled by truck to a facility in Brentwood where they would be transferred onto rail cars for a trip to Kentucky.  The sealed garbage would be loaded onto gondolas near the NY&AR's Pineaire yard, where they would be carried west over that grade crossing Glendale NIMBYs consider "extremely dangerous" to Fresh Pond Yard, the NY&AR's main classification yard.  From there they would be sent up over the Hell Gate Bridge, up and over the Selkirk Hurdle, and back down to Kentucky, its final destination.

For more on how what many have said Long Island's main export--trash--gets off of Long Island, check out this post for information on the route these trains take.

The towns expect the DEC to approve the temporary 30- or 60-day permit within the next few days.  At this point, it is uncertain if a potential LIRR union strike might or might not impact New York & Atlantic Railway freight operations, but I will try and see if I can get an answer from the MTA regarding that at some point today.  Overall, it would be nice to see such an arrangement become permanent.  One freight car can carry several truckloads of garbage, and the fewer trucks on roadways like the very congested LIE the better.

Update 7/16/14 6:00pm:  In an e-mail earlier today, MTA Spokesman Aaron Donovan said that New York & Atlantic Railway freight trains would continue to run in the event of a work stoppage, so the trash, and other goods to freight customers, would continue to flow in the event LIRR train service is suspended.