Dateline: New York/New Jersey

Brooklyn councilman wants “trucking companies on the hook” for the dirty diesel mess

September 14, 2011

Dirty port trucks aren’t just a California problem. And they’re not just a Newark problem either. In fact, Brooklyn, home to the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, is one of the most at-risk counties in New York for health problems resulting from diesel soot.

And while community activists and clean air advocates are celebrating a recent victory to reduce diesel emissions by installing shore side power for giant cruise ships docked in Red Hook, they’re also gearing up to fight for a better clean truck program from the Port Authority.

Councilman Brad Lander, who represents port-adjacent communities in Brooklyn doesn’t believe the Port Authority’s current plan is effective because it forces hard-working, low-income truck drivers to foot the bill for clean trucks.

“They’re treated as independent contractors when they’re really employees of the truck companies,” said Councilmember Lander. “We need to have the trucking companies on the hook.”

“That burden of buying a new truck is placed entirely on the drivers,” said Brad Kerr, a board member of the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association. “They make very little money.”

In fact, the failure of the Port Authority’s efforts may be the reason why the agency continues to withhold important information about their program. They have not responded to an information request by Councilman Lander and most recently they refused to provide updated information to the media.

The Port Authority hasn’t just failed to clean the air and protect the residents, but the agency has also forced low-income truck drivers to take on huge debt just to keep their jobs. In some cases it has pushed drivers out of the industry altogether.

Bronx truck driver Kirby Reyes, 38, was forced to quit his job as a port trucker after 11 years. He now transfers garbage from the city out of state, a job he says he hates. “Why take a loan for $100,000? “ Reyes said. “The interest is too much.”