04/08/09: NIMBY Peabody Waste Transfer Center Controversy

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 04/07/09
Buffalo’s smallest street is home to one of the biggest tug-o-wars between neighbors and a nearby waste transfer center. Batagglia Demolition handles construction and municipal waste. The owner wants to add garbage to the mix to truck-in more business.
“He wants to do expansion out here, plus he wants to put the garbage disposal in the back here, and we don’t want the garbage disposal,” said Peabody St. resident Shirley Parker.
“If he tracks garbage in here it’s going to be 160 trucks up and down our street in a day,” added Diane Lemanski who lives adjacent to the center. She says vibrations from the trucks are wrecking her house.
But owner Peter Battaglia says don’t blame him, blame city hall.
“We’re a transfer station authorized by the city of Buffalo. We collect various types of solid waste as governed by the city of Buffalo,” said Battaglia. He says he’s well within his right to add garbage to his operation. He even re-applied for a city transfer station license back in October 2006, but he says he never heard back.
“Even though we disagree that we need this license, because our other license clearly states that we can already handle garbage they’re putting a new license law over our existing license,” he added.
The possibility of expanding the Battaglia Waste Transfer Center has Peabody Street virtually split down the middle. While some neighbors fear the increased trucks and traffic on their street. Others are looking forward to the possibility of more jobs down the road.
“There’s going to be employment here when the other half of the building gets installed,” said Peabody street resident Dan Kramer. “You know he’s going to create jobs right here.”
Kramer added Batagglia reaches out to a community that refuses to return the favor.
“As you can see the place is nice and clean. There’s no smell coming out of here. He keeps it very well clean,” said Kramer.