Over the weekend, an Earth Day celebration on Long Island urged the Town of Brookhaven to close the landfill in Yaphank. Residents of North Bellport encouraged their community of color to join them in the streets to talk about “environmental racism” in their neighborhood.
New York is hearing feedback from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by waste disposal and transfer facilities. It’s part of the decennial solid waste management plan the state is working on.
Residents who live near the Brookhaven Landfill are concerned that keeping the facility open for a few more years will endanger their community’s health for decades.