How long was the Fresh Kills Landfill supposed to be open and when did it finally close?
Well, it was supposed to be open for only twenty years, but that didn't happen. It was open from 1948 through 2001. A total of 53 years. It became the butt of jokes about Staten Island by the other boroughs especially, which always boggled my mind since it was their garbage.
The area is now being developed into a park. Now if that sounds weird to you, do what we did. Take the tour. All landfills are eventually converted and there is a long and safe process by which they are. It is an amazing tour.
Here are some facts:
- It was one of the largest dumps in the world, but not the largest, it was third. California and India beat us.
- No, it was not seen from space along with the Wall of China.
- Yes, it closed, please tell the rest of the world, as they are still cracking jokes about it.
Now about that closing. It closed in March of 2001 and in September, we found another use for it. It became the site where all the debris from the World Trade Center was sorted.
From WikiPedia: The debris was never removed and is buried in a 40 acre portion of the landfill. The New York City Medical Examiner has stated in a written affidavit that he is "virtually certain" the debris contains human remains.
A memorial is being build on the site. If I remember from the tour correctly, it was the West Mound where the debris was sorted. Many Islanders witnessed the trucks coming over the bridge every night on their way to Fresh Kills.
Not only was Staten Island one of the largest hit areas on 9-11 but we took care of a huge part of it after the attacks. Many people in the other boroughs do not know this and it blows my mind.
The next time someone tells you Staten Island is a dump, remember to tell them this little fact.
More Reading:
No comments:
Post a Comment