Cleaning Up Waste From Hurricane Sandy Big Business on Long Island

Ed Lynch Wednesday, December 26, 2012

If one can put a silver lining to the hurricane that was called Sandy, then it has to be within the waste and clean up department. The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to the shores of Long Island is simply unprecedented. And with all of that devastation is a lot of clean up that is needed to take care of the damage, the rubble, and the waste that has accumulated the last few months.

The superstorm has confirmed that wastewater and solid-waste treatment will be a job-creating economic driver on Long Island for the next decade and beyond. The October superstorm revealed massive infrastructural shortcomings along the Eastern Seaboard, from low-lying waterfronts at the mercy of surging seas to entire power grids helpless before hurricane winds. On Long Island, a spotlight now shines on inadequate drinking water protection and waste management protocols; aside from creating immediate post-storm challenges, the storm revealed a dire need for long-term solutions.

In the light of this is the news of the thousands of tons of waste carted off Long Island daily by truck and train and the impending 2027 closing of the Brookhaven Landfill. However, many people are looking at this as a wonderful economic opportunity for the people, and the businesses, of Long Island.

This opportunity is bringing up a lot of different conversations dealing with the jobs that this can bring to Long Island. However, at the heart of the discussion is that Sandy revealed both a desperate need and a rich opportunity.

“Basically, the consensus was that Hurricane Sandy provides an opportunity to upgrade existing plants … and expand service to new areas to promote downtown growth using upgraded technology,” Vision Long Island Executive Director Eric Alexander said. “Financing mechanisms (mentioned in the discussions) included an increased public commitment for sewers from the state and federal levels, potential state pension fund investments and private sources. ”

While many people can get excited about this, there is still a long way to go in order to create some sort of plan for the disposal of the waste as well as a timetable for setting up additional, or revamped, infrastructural support.

Edwardl@longislandyellowpages.com

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