Dive Brief:
- John Degan, the chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, issued a statement saying commissioners do not expect to approve the transfer station deal between Jersey City, NJ and the New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
- The tentative agreement, worth an estimated $10 million for Jersey City, was lauded by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and received the stamp of approval from City Council.
- The agreement still has to pass through legislative barriers, and would first need to surmount a redevelopment plan that prevents waste transfer stations in Greenville Yards -- the site of the proposed transfer station.
Dive Insight:
The Port Authority action could be seen as a form of retaliation against Fulop. The mayor has taken issue with the Port Authority in the past year and filed a $400 million lawsuit against the authority. The suit alleges that the Port Authority owes back taxes on properties it owns in Jersey City.
The Port Authority acquired Greenville Yards in 2010 with the intention of converting the site into a waste transfer station.
Degan said, “As for any agreement between IESI and Jersey City, it has not been described or presented to the board and no involvement, if any, in that agreement by the Port Authority has been approved by the board.”
