Brooklyn Residents Demand Closure of Concrete Plant

By Y.M. Lowy

Residents of Brooklyn are calling for the closure of a city run concrete recycling plant on the Columbia Street waterfront. The facility makes it hard for locals to breathe due to thick dust, causing burning eyes and coughing, and the air is so gritty that they can taste it. 

Since the plant opened in February 2024, it has left cars and buildings covered in powder from crushed concrete.

 While recycling concrete is eco-friendly in theory, the crushing process releases fine dust containing harmful particles like silica, which can cause serious lung diseases. Even though the plant has installed sprinklers and reduced the size of the concrete piles, locals say these efforts are not enough.

The trucks start rolling in as early as 6 a.m., bringing noise and pollution that never seem to stop. As the petition to shut the facility down has already gathered over 850 signatures, residents are pushing for cleaner air. The facility is scheduled to stay open until 2026, but the locals are determined to make their voices heard.

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