Assembly Passes Legislation to Help Keep Communities Near Railroads Clean

Speaker Carl Heastie today announced the Assembly has passed legislation to safeguard communities neighboring railroads by ensuring that waste transferred by rail is properly contained (A.4928, Rajkumar).

“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe and healthy environment,” said Speaker Heastie. “This legislation will ensure that the transportation of waste via rail does not put neighboring communities at risk from leaks, spills or odors and fumes.”

“As railroads are being used more and more frequently to transport waste, it is essential that we ensure the communities that surround railroad tracks are protected,” said Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “My legislation will ensure that rail cars carrying waste will be properly covered and that the communities they pass through are no longer exposed to dangerous spills or noxious fumes.”

As the trucking of garbage continues to be phased out and replaced by waste transport via rail, there is a crucial need to protect the residential communities adjacent to the tracks. This bill would require rail cars hauling putrescible waste be sealed with hard lids, and that rail cars hauling non-putrescible waste be covered with hard tarping before exiting a waste transfer station.