The New York City Departments of Sanitation and Parks & Recreation celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the last barge of waste to Fresh Kills Landfill by welcoming a barge loaded with young trees to the site.
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2007: East Mound Capping Begins
East Mound Capping began in 2007. The 482-acre section sits along Richmond Avenue near the Staten Island Mall. Learn about the plan for East Mound.
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2001: Landfill Timeline
The timeline of the landfill’s operation was put together for the catalogue of the exhibit called “Fresh Kills: Artists Respond to the Closure of the Staten Island Landfill,” mounted at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center‘s Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art in 2001.
Courtesy of the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Diana Yates Staten Island Advance and photographer Michael Falco.
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1997: North Mound Capped
North Mound was capped soon after South Mound. This 233-acre section is close to Schmul Playground and the Travis neighborhood. Learn about the plan for North Mound.
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1996: South Mound Capped
South Mound was the first of the four landfill mounds to be closed and covered with a thick, impermeable cap.
This section makes up 425 acres of the 2,200 acre site and is adjacent to Arthur Kill Road. Learn about the plan for South Mound.
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1996: New York State Law Passes to Close Landfill
New York State Law was passed requiring the landfill to cease accepting solid waste by December 31, 2001.
Image: DSNY Photo Archive.
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1990: New York State Consent Order to Close Landfill
April: The Fresh Kills Landfill Consent Order was issued between the City of New York and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The consent order required compliance with New York State’s Solid Waste Management Facilities Regulations 6 NYCRR 360, specified conditions for closure of Section 2/8 and 3/4 and interim operation of Fresh Kills Landfill, and identifies collection of landfill gas as an integral part of the closure plan.
Image: DSNY Photo Archive.
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1971: Fresh Kills receives half of NYC’s garbage
After landfills in the Bronx are closed, Fresh Kills received nearly half the city’s garbage.
Image: DSNY Photo Archive.
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1961: Landfill grows to 1,284 acres
By 1955, Fresh Kills was the largest landfill in the world, serving as the principal landfill for household garbage collected in New York City. The landfill grew to 1,284 acres in 1961. At around this time, the City of New York announced that dumping at Fresh Kills would continue for 15 more years.
Image: DSNY Photo Archive.
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1951: Proposal for Development
The City of New York and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses issued a proposal for development at Fresh Kills. The plan suggests that the area could be used for parks, private residential development, and an industrial zone along the west shore.