Months ago, concerned locals reached out to Greenpointers to alert the community of an ongoing public health situation. DKN Ready Mix, a concrete batch plant, set up shop on Green Street last fall, disturbing neighbors with noise, intense vibrations, and dust, among other issues.
We published our investigation on Monday, which found multiple fines and violations racked up over the past decade. The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) told Greenpointers that they would launch an audit into DKN’s other permits due to the business illegally operating contrary to the site’s current Certificate of Occupancy.
Our local elected officials have also taken notice, and now, they’re taking action.
Last week, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, City Council Member Lincoln Restler, and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez sent a letter to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), asking them to investigate DKN Ready Mix. While the agency has already issued DKN several violations this year alone, the politicians hope that they can go further.
“We ask that the Department of Environmental Conservation immediately investigate DKN Ready Mix for compliance with DEC regulations and air pollution permitting,” the letter reads in part. “Further, we would like to request that a multi-agency review of DKN Ready Mix’s operating permits be pursued with NYC Department of Buildings and other agencies, to ensure that residents are not being exposed to harmful and dangerous air pollution.”
The same group also sent a letter to DKN Ready Mix, asking for a meeting between the concrete batch plant’s leadership, affected neighbors, and the elected officials.
“It’s unacceptable that Greenpointers are being exposed to extreme dust that is creating untenable living situations for many neighbors,” said Lincoln Restler in a statement. “I’m urging DKN to prioritize the safety of our community and meet with the elected officials of Greenpoint immediately to make significant changes in their operation or shut down.”
Possible this is related to the conga line of cement trucks (and other construction trucks) lining Manhattan Ave from Dupont on down for blocks and blocks over the past year or so??? They seem to have disappeared – for now – I hounded Restler’s office about it because I got sick of the pollution and noise from running trucks (just sat there churning those barrels, never cut their engines, that’s a MAJOR violation in and of itself), clogging traffic (forcing everyone to try to use one lane for both directions, cuz they were literally parked with engines running in the northbound lane for hours on end, typically from 7:30a-2p), parking in the bus stop so that buses couldn’t get through, causing a danger for pedestrian crossings (esp since we have a lot of seniors and children here), etc. etc. Who even allowed this business to settle in N Greenpoint if it’s so toxic??? It’s already a Superfund site for several reasons, Newtown Canal and surrounding areas being of primary concern. N Greenpoint is NOT what people think it is. Fun to visit, but man, live here for just a little while, and you see why it’s probably not the best neighborhood to live in. Sad but true.