Tempers flare over burning Sandy tree debris
The city is burning Hurricane Sandy tree debris at Floyd Bennett Field in order to convert it into reusable material, enraging environmentalists who claim that the burn-off will compromise air quality.
In a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will burn more than 15,000 trees damaged by the storm, which will be converted into biofuel, mulch and landfill cover.
A six-day pilot program began on November 28, in which some of the debris is incinerated using an “air curtain burner,” which is a ceramic lined firebox about the size of a shipping container that uses large fans to make a “curtain” of air that prevents embers and ash from escaping. The Army Corps said they have already successfully used this method in Texas, Alabama and in Brookhaven on Long Island.