Greenpoint residents are well-accustomed to strange smells in our pollution-plagued neighborhood, but one in particular has stood out in recent years—an acrid, burning smell that the state’s Department of Environmental Conversation eventually traced to an asphalt plant in Long Island City.
Assemblymember Emily Gallagher recently announced that she and City Council Member Lincoln Restler met with Green Asphalt to come up with a solution to the issue.
“They are currently working [on] an air dispersion model to adjust their airstacks so fumes no longer hit residential areas. Should be fixed by mid 2025,” Gallagher shared on X. “As the first 100% recycled asphalt plant in the country (National average is 23%) Green Asphalt is a partner in cleaning up the construction industry. We want them to succeed and are looking forward to working together to fix the smoke and fumes concern.”
“We’re working closely with Assemblymember Gallagher’s office, Green Asphalt, and DEC to improve air quality in Greenpoint and implement effective solutions as quickly as possible. We’re pushing the company to swiftly reduce the unacceptable odors,” Restler said in a statement to Greenpointers.
It’s a nice change of pace to see an industrial neighbor take responsibility for an environmental issue (contrast this response with that of concrete manufacturer DKN Ready Mix). We’ll keep you updated as this story progresses.
A business like that should NOT be in a residential area! My asthma gets worse with each passing year. Having them aim the fumes in another direction is NOT a solution! This is unacceptable!