Noxious New York

Throughout this reading, I consistently found myself thinking, if not the poor neighborhoods, where should the unwanted waste go? Sze notes that the City of New York has never found a “…satisfactory way of handling New York City’s effluence, from solid waste disposal to sewage” and considering the sheer volume generated, this is of no surprise. During the 1980s, environmental justice reached a high point, with community-based groups protesting the West Harlem incinerator to the Sunset Park sludge treatment plant. At the time of publication, both neighborhoods have yet to establish what should be done in their stretches of derelict waterfront property.

Sze examines the actions and reactions of intended disposal sites, particularly the West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) and Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods (OWN). Ultimately, these groups are pushing for community-oriented research and planning, rather than information and directives coming from the people on top.

The conclusion of the book irritated me, because as nice as it is to talk about what these organizations have done and seek to do, garbage does have to go somewhere. Jersey doesn’t want it, Brooklyn doesn’t want it and throwing it into the ocean hurts everyone in the end. Particularly idealistic is the idea of equal distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. I snickered out loud because I’m certain, any WE ACT sympathizers residing on Central Park East/Fifth Avenue would immediately organize their own, and much more effective, protest if a sludge treatment plan came to their neighborhood.