Yaphank,
NY - A
just recently
submitted air
quality study
that was
conducted at the
direction of the
Suffolk County
Legislator Kate
Browning in
conjunction with
the Suffolk
County
Department of
Health Services
left many
questions and
intensified
concerns of
violations at
Long Island
Compost in
Yaphank and
other facilities
throughout
Suffolk County.
The county
collected air
quality data
near composting
operations in
five areas of
central Suffolk
County. The data
collected show a
correlation
between the
presence of
odors and
elevated levels
of bioaerosol
and particulate
matter (PM) 2.5
contaminants in
the air samples.
Councilwoman
Constance Kepert
and Legislator
Browning were
joined with
local civic
leaders to call
for New York
State DEC to
take action, and
for the
Brookhaven Town
Board to halt a
proposal to
close the
Papermill Road
site in
Manorville,
which would
result in an
increase in
materials at
Yaphank. The
study pointed to
Long Island
Compost in
Yaphank as being
the worst
offender.
Composting is
environmentally
beneficial when
sites are
managed
correctly.
However, when
managed
incorrectly they
pose enormous
odor and
potential health
impacts to
nearby residents
and those living
downwind of the
site.
The Suffolk
County study
took a total of
797 air samples
on 37 separate
days at five
separate
composting
facilities.
According to
Suffolk County,
“Although this
was a
preliminary
screening and
data collection
program, the
data set
collected was
robust enough to
address the
following basic
questions:
-
What is the
frequency
and
intensity of
downwind
odors?
-
Does the
occurrence
of odor
correlate
with higher
contaminant
levels?
-
Where
standards
exist for an
air quality
contaminant,
is there a
potential
for
exceeding
standards?”
Odors were
detected at 54%
in the events
tested. Results
collected during
this study also
indicated a real
potential of
facilities
exceeding the
National Ambient
Air Quality
Standards for
fine particulate
matter (PM 2.5).
These are small
particulates
that when
inhaled get
lodged in the
lungs, and can
result in asthma
and other
respiratory
problems.
Elevated counts
of viable
bioaerosols,
both fungal
spores and
bacteria, were
also recorded.
Composting sites
are considered
solid waste
facilities and
fall under the
jurisdiction of
the New York
State Department
of Environmental
Conservation.
The DEC’s air
regulations
prohibit the
emission of
odorous, toxic
substances that
unreasonably
interfere with
the enjoyment of
property.
Unreasonably
interfere is
interpreted as
odors in the
community
greater than 20%
of the time.
The areas
studied by the
county included
both the Long
Island Compost
site in Yaphank
and the
Papermill Road
site in
Manorville.
According to the
Suffolk County
study, all of
the composting
facilities
studied with the
exception of the
Bellport compost
facility exceed
the 20%
threshold. As
depicted in the
chart on p. 8 of
the county
study, Long
Island Compost
facility is by
far the worst
offender with
odors detected
in 77.8% of the
samples taken.
In contrast, the
town’s
Manorville site
exceeded the DEC
threshold by
only 5% with
odors detected
25% of the time.
Donna Cioffi, a
Yaphank resident
who lives
adjacent to the
Long Island
Compost facility
stated, “Our
quality of life
has suffered for
the last ten
years due to
Long Island
Compost. We’d
like to enjoy
our backyards
once again, but
the odors and
dust prevent us
from that. We
need the DEC to
enforce their
laws.”
The county
concluded that
the Papermill
Road Compost
facility
appeared to be
generally well
managed, whereas
both Long Island
Compost and
Global Land
Materials had
the highest PM
2.5 and
bioaerosol
levels. These
issues appear
associated with
grinding
operations at
these
facilities.
Councilwoman
Kepert and
Legislator
Browning are
calling on Town
Board members to
seriously
consider this
information when
casting their
vote at the July
20 Town Board
meeting on the
closure of the
Manorville
Compost
facility. “By
closing the
Manorville
Compost
facility, the
town will be an
accomplice to
Long Island
Compost’s
egregious
violations; and
I just can’t
support that,”
stated
Councilwoman
Kepert.
“I sponsored
legislation in
2006 that
directed our
Department of
Health Services
to conduct air
quality tests
because there
were concerns
about these
facilities’
impacts on
surrounding
communities,”
stated
Legislator
Browning. “While
composting is
necessary, the
findings clearly
show that
compost
operations have
negative impacts
on the quality
of life for
surrounding
areas, and Long
Island Compost
is the worst
offender. New
York State’s
Department of
Environmental
Conservation
must take steps
to guarantee
these facilities
are complying
with state law,
and if they are
not, the state
needs to take
aggressive
action to make
sure they come
into compliance.
We also need to
take a hard look
at determining
what locations
are appropriate
for this needed
activity.”
Where there is
compost there is
odor; this is a
reality that
some compost
facilities
manage more
effectively than
others. As the
report points
out, Manorville
Compost facility
emits odors or
toxic substances
that
unreasonably
interfere with
the enjoyment of
property 25% of
the time whereas
Long Island
Compost’s
average is
77.8%. “I find
it curious that
the DEC came
after the Town
of Brookhaven
when complaints
came in and
aggressively
enforced their
regulations but
they have not
done the same
with respect to
the egregious
violations
committed by
Long Island
Compost
Facility,”
concluded
Councilwoman
Kepert.
