279 



An estimate for the cost of private hauling is $0.35 per cubic 

 foot. Our current operation at the 12 mile site is supplemented 

 with private barging. 



(9) The City had at one point developed a "contingency" plan 

 for composting sewage sludge in the event that the ocean dumping 

 option became unavailable. The City has repeatedly called the 

 composting option inadequate because the City has only about a 

 7-year capacity of land available for composting purposes. 

 Assuming that the City composted slightly less than half of its 

 daily output of sludge, I would assume that the composting op- 

 tion would be available until at least the beginning of the next 

 century. Has the City considered the option of composting a 

 portion of its sewage as a long-term disposal option (for exam- 

 ple, for cleaner sludge) and developing more suitable alterna- 

 tives for the rest? Did the City consider the use of composted 

 material as a "cover" for the Fresh Kills landfill, for which I 

 understand the City brings in dirt daily from N.J. to use as a 

 cover; if so, how much dirt does t-»e City bring in each day for 

 this purpose. 



Has the City looked into the possibility-x)f using compost re«^ 

 suiting from its "cleaner" sludges in other parts of the State, 

 or tried working with the State in order to find acceptable uses 

 for this sludge outside the City (on other than agricultural 

 land)? 



When New York City's land based alternatives were developed in 

 1978, they were done so not as "contingency" plans, but with the 

 full intent of implementation in order to meet the December 31, 

 1981 deadline. Contracts were let for the design of dewatering 

 facilities and a composting facility at Wards Island. Both of 

 these designs were, in fact, completed. Centrifuges were pur- 

 chased and thirteen filter presses were ordered and under cons- 

 truction at the time Judge Sofaer rendered his decision. The 

 City was on schedule to meet the December 31, 1981 deadline. 



■26- 



