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A Word About Recycling with Ollie Maier

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Here’s our final article concerning the changing of the world’s largest landfill into a park. In our three previous articles, taken from a Waste Today newsletter, we covered 1) how large the landfill was, 2) the legislative action and contracts when the decision was made to close it, and 3) the process of closing it. Today we will cover the main points of the making of it into a useful park.

We find the large area of the Freshkills Park will be made into not just one park, but several adjoining parks. This effort has been going on for several years starting in 2012. That year, the Schmul Park was developed on the outskirts of the site and has handball and basketball courts together with playground equipment.

The following year, the Owl Hollow Field was started, which has four soccer fields, plus a walking path and a parking area. A park house was also added to the site as part of an ongoing construction effort. Then in 2015, the New Springville Greenway, with its 3.3-mile bike path located on the eastern edge of Freshkills Park, was opened. The last part, a North Park, is currently in development and should be completed in 2020.

“When finished, this 21-acre site will connect visitors to different areas of the park through its walking and high-speed paths located among seven acres of native seed plots.

“Though the work is just beginning in redeveloping the 2,200-acre site, NYC Parks and the Freshkills Park Alliance have been working with NYC Sanitation to organize on-site events and programs to introduce parts of Freshkills Park to the public.

“These opportunities allow people to explore closed sections of the future park and learn about the project while the transformation is underway.”

Unfortunately, already some of the feedback shows a few people are impatient for the park to be completed. However, these same people, once they get to see this great site during a tour or event, they will want to visit all the time.

It is hoped that the way the world’s largest landfill in the world is being changed into a big and bright park will be a model for other municipalities when closing a landfill. As a spokesperson said, “With public tours, research and art projects, Freshkills is an example of how multifaceted the reclamation can be.”

Switching subjects, in our monthly report of what citizens recycled at the local Green Guy Recycling Services drop-off site, here are the amounts for August:

• Metals: 2,417,383 lbs

• Cardboard: 222,280 lbs

• Paper: 89,110 lbs

• Glass: 36,735 lbs

• Plastic: 14,492 lbs

• Electronics: 4,323 lbs

• Monitors: 5,611 lbs

• Used oil: 1,509 gallons

• Used oil Filters: 400

• Tires: 907

Plus the normal amount of printer cartridges, rechargeable batteries, Styrofoam peanuts and re-usables.

If you haven’t visited the drop-off site for a while, things have been somewhat rearranged to make it neater and even easier for you.

We should all be proud of these amounts, plus that of curbside recycling and other local drop-off sites.

Till next week, do have an enjoyable and safe one.

--Ollie is a local citizen concerned with the environment and helping others. A retired Air Force fighter and instructor pilot, he is a graduate of Leadership San Marcos and received his degrees at Texas State University where he worked on staff before totally retiring. For questions or comments, he invites you to call him at 512-353-7432 or e-mail omaier@txstate.edu.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666