Cleaning up in messy times

Sanitary District 1 works through pandemic

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Even in the best of times, the more than 100 Sanitary District 1 workers that collect and process roughly 39,000 tons of solid waste each year have a difficult, dirty job, gathering the refuse and recycling from over 50,000 residents and a variety of businesses and institutions in the villages of Cedarhurst, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Lawrence, Woodmere, Woodsburgh and portions of the unincorporated areas of Lynbrook and Green Acres.

Collection hasn’t been stopped by the coronavirus pandemic. Every morning at the yard in Lawrence, the workers are given masks and rubber medical gloves before beginning their shifts, District Superintendent George Pappas said. Some employees even walk to their cars before discarding the personal protective equipment at the end of their shifts.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way the workers at Sanitary District 1 respond in times of a crisis,” Pappas said. “They have proven to be people that put their jobs and their community before themselves.”

Pappas noted that district employees collected the debris left by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, and a year later they did it again after Hurricane Sandy. “Now, with this crisis, they’re putting themselves on the line and have kept the standards of service,” he said.

In the years before Irene, residents and civic leaders regularly took the district to task for being inefficient — even incompetent. “I’m amazed that collection is continuing” amid the pandemic, “and on the streets I’ve seen no difference,” said Hewlett Harbor Mayor Mark Weiss, a past critic of the district’s work. “Everything I’ve seen since the beginning of the state mandates, Sanitary District 1 is acting admirably. These are people on the front lines, themselves coming up to people’s homes, picking up refuse that in some cases could be contaminated. They seem to be managing the process very well. We couldn’t do without them.”

Lawrence Village Administrator Ron Goldman said the district’s work is very much appreciated, because it has more than likely become more hazardous with an increase in the volume of trash. “It’s a riskier business than most people think, and the nature of the burden has increased with the amount of people staying home,” Goldman said. “George is on top of everything, and when individuals have concerns, we communicate those to him. With Passover coming and so many more people being home, the burden will increase for them.” The eight-day Jewish holiday begins April 8.

The district is overseen by a board of five commissioners, including Hewlett resident James Vilardi, the board’s chairman, who lauded the efforts of Pappas and the employees. “George is talking to the workers on a daily basis,” Vilardi said. “People are afraid, but the workers have to do an essential job, and it’s very important under these difficult conditions. They’re wearing masks, wearing gloves over regular work gloves, and take every precaution. We’re lucky to have such a dedicated group of guys.”

To make the job of collecting trash easier and safer, Pappas said, residents “can start by making sure all garbage is secured in securely tied garbage bags.”

To contact Sanitary District 1, call (516) 239-5600 or email info@saniarydistrict1.com. The website is www.saniartydistrict1.com.