Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia at the CityLaw Breakfast on October 5, 2018. Image credit: CityLaw.

Sanitation determined polystyrene foam products were unrecyclable. Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia’s decision that expanded polystyrene cannot be recycled has been upheld by the Appellate Division. The decision paves the way for the City to ban the use of expanded polystyrene single service articles. (read more…)

North Shore Marine Transfer Station in Queens. Image credit: Google Maps.

Contractor sought compensation for repairing damages caused during an additional work contract. In 2009, Sanitation entered into a $161 million contract with Prismatic Development Corporation to improve the North Shore Marine Transfer Station in Queens.  Prismatic, following Sanitation’s plans and specifications, installed a new deck and concrete overlay on the Transfer Station’s exterior ramp.  The concrete overlay later developed extensive cracking.  Sanitation conceded that an error in the design documents provided by Sanitation to Prismatic had caused the concrete to crack, and issued a change order to Prismatic to demolish and replace the topping of the damaged ramp on a time and material basis. Sanitation’s specifications for the remedial work emphasized that Prismatic must exercise care not to damage the underlying deck surface while conducting the additional work.  (read more…)