It's not smart to tell your neighbors that your trash is good for them, even if
you live in Gracie Mansion. That's what New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
discovered in January, after suggesting that nearby states had an obligation to
accept increased shipments of garbage from his crowded city. Giuliani reasoned
that because the Big Apple is a cultural and business center that "brings great
benefits to the rest of the country," it has a "reciprocal relationship" with its
neighbors and they should help take out the trash.
The issue has come to a head because New York City's only landfill is slated to
close in 2001. In February, five eastern states told Giuliani his city's plans to
export 13,000 tons of trash
a day was "unacceptable." Virginia quickly passed a bill banning garbage
shipments by barge, and for the first time, New York City began scouting for
landfills in the Empire State.
