Queens residents say they can't stand foul odor from nearby asphalt facility

CBS News

6 days ago

NEW YORK - For 94 years, Queens resident Florence Michalski has been a fixture on the corner of Long Island City known as Blissville. But lately, she's had to pack up and stay with relatives.
"The smell is terrible. You can't go out," she said.
She says an acrid stench, like burning tires, billows from Green Asphalt's nearby asphalt recycling plant.
"Your eyes tear. You think you're crying all the time," she said.
Blissville residents say the odor kicks in early in the morning when the equipment powers on.
"The taste goes right onto your tongue. It's horrible," Charles Romer said.
"We already live up the block from Newtown Creek, which is a superfund site. Then, you add this into the mix," Warren Davis said. "That's concerning, of course, for myself, concerning for our neighbors."
Green Asphalt says it's working to address complaints
Green Asphalt declined to be interviewed, writing in a statement to CBS News New York:
"Green Asphalt has been in compliance with the air requirements set forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) since we were first permitted in 2017. We have been working diligently to address any odor complaints. Green Asphalt's goal is to remain in good standing with the community as we have over the last 14 years, and we continue to engage with local stakeholders in Greenpoint and Long Island City to resolve this as soon as possible."
The DEC said it issued an air pollution violation to Green Asphalt in January of 2024.
Newtown Creek Alliance executive director Willis Elkins says, though its environmental mission is noble, the company must address adverse impacts.
"They're doing 100 percent recycled asphalt, which is better than the city standard," he said. "We're just trying to fight for some basic air quality improvements and protection of human health."
Asphalt fumes can cause health problems from a cough to skin cancer, according to the US Department of Labor.
Lawmakers call on company to "be a better neighbor"
Now, lawmakers are calling for a temporary closure, insisting Green Asphalt has failed to make meaningful change.
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Assemblymember Claire Valdez, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, and Councilmember Julie Won said in a joint statement:
"Green Asphalt committed to increasing the height of the emissions stack and redirecting emissions away from our residential community by June, but they have failed to do so. Emissions from Green Asphalt are impacting the health and safety of Greenpoint and Blissville residents alike. We demand Green Asphalt be a better neighbor. While we appreciate the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's Wednesday letter requiring the company to double the height of the emissions stack as soon as they have the necessary approval and not later than year's end, we are pushing for DEC to take more aggressive action by requiring Green Asphalt shut down their operations until the modifications to the emission stack are completed."
Neighbors say a shutdown is long overdue.
"We're not going to let Green Asphalt put us in the grave," Tom Mituzas said.
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