Upper East Side Residents Mount Another Protest Against Proposed Garbage Dump
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Not in their backyard.
That was the message from some Manhattan families on Thursday at the site of a proposed garbage dump on the Upper East Side.
The rain did not deter more than 100 angry residents who gathered at 91st Street and York Avenue to protest a proposed garbage transfer station at the location.
1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria Reports From The Upper East Side
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Those residents booed contractors as the hard hats entered a ramp leading to the site, or what opponents refer to as a garbage dump.
Irene Roberts, 84, spoke to 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria and said she worries about her health and the impact that such a facility could have on her.
"My health concern is that I had lung cancer and I live right across the street," she said.
The contractors said they're just doing their jobs. One of them, who did not want to be named, said he felt bad for the residents, adding that the situation was "between the city and them."
The contractors were on the Upper East Side to look over the 2 1/2-acre site before submitting bids.
Opponents of the plan say building a garbage station would damage the health and safety of those living in a residential neighborhood that has two large public housing developments, schools and a sports complex that serves thousands of children.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office has previously said the East 91st Street location is the best and most cost-effective option.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the mayor said that "every borough must contribute to handling its own garbage. That includes Manhattan as much as Upper East Siders may disagree."
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