Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
July 13, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 27 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Instead of ban, town considers plastic bag fee By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Helping hands Members of a U.S. contingent of volunteers in Dominican Republic to help build houses say goodbye to one of the beneficiary families. For story, see page 7. Photo courtesy Linnet Tse
DEC orders Taylor’s Lane to undergo additional testing By JAMES PERO Staff Writer A remediation project on Taylor’s Lane in the village of Mamaroneck will undergo further tests after a statewide mandate from the Department of Environmental Conservation to further analyze groundwater safety. As part of the new tests— which were authorized at a village Board of Trustees meeting in late June—the village’s hired
INSIDE New market in town Page 8.
consultant, Zion Environmental, will look for two toxic substances: 1,4 dioxane, Per-, and polufluorolalkyl, which have been linked to cancer. In total, the additional tests will cost $13,250, a sum that will be deducted from the village’s contingency budget. According to a memo sent to the board by Village Manager Robert Yamuder, the testing was not outlined in the most recent village budget despite previous analysis of the site dating back to 2016. Though the state started requiring groundwater testing for certain substances at all superfund sites across New York
in 2017, the village was unaware that it needed testing before it passed the 2017-2018 fiscal year budget, according to Assistant Village Manager Dan Sarnoff. In fact, Sarnoff said, the village didn’t become aware of the necessity for the additional testing until after hearing from its consultants and DEC. Taylor’s Lane has been capped for about 30 years, after the property—a former leaf composting site—was found to be containing hazardous chemicals that had been illegally dumped there. Since 2016, the village has slated the former composting
site for a number of potential uses, including a dog park, public pathways or sports fields, though, according to Sarnoff, it’s too early to tell whether those uses will be approved by the DEC due to outstanding site analysis. Because of its classification as a hazardous site, the village is prohibited from building any structures on the central part of the 7-acre property due to concerns about the capped area that may still contain toxic waste. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has shown increased TESTING continued on page 8
In an effort to curb the use of plastic bags, the town of Mamaroneck will again consider adopting a plastic bag fee after opposition killed an outright ban in 2012. The law will look to impose a point-of-sale fee on the use of single-use plastic bags that advocates hope will encourage shoppers to bring their own bags to supermarkets and other retailers. The town first looked into a plastic bag ban in 2012, but received backlash from the Food Industry Alliance of New York State, FIANY, an association that works to protect chain retail stores from laws that could harm their businesses. The group threatened to sue the town if the law was enacted. That local law was eventually tabled by the town and alternative discussions relating to a possible fee were initiated last year. However, since the failed 2012 ban, similar proposals have sprung up throughout the state that includes legislation in Westchester County that would impose a 10 cent fee on plastic grocery bags. Discussed in April of this year, that bill has still not appeared before the county Board of Legislators for a full vote. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has also been vocal about kicking the distribution of single-use plastic bags to the curb, introducing a potential statewide ban on their use. “The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our en-
vironment,” Cuomo said in an April statement. “As the old proverb goes: ‘We did not inherit the earth, we are merely borrowing it from our children,’ and with this action we are helping to leave a stronger, cleaner and greener New York for all.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plastic bags often end up clogging storm drains or making their way into protected bodies of water and endangering the welfare of sea animals. According to Waste Management, a recycling and waste company,, in the U.S. alone, consumers use about 10 billion bags per year and in the process 12 million barrels of oil—petroleum is a key ingredient in manufacturing plastics. According to Town Supervisor, Nancy Seligson, the proposed fee, if approved, would seek to curb usage and clean up Mamaroneck’s waterways. “Single use plastic has become a major problem in terms of the amount that is being produced and used in the world,” she said. “They end up as a FEE continued on page 10
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