Bronx Residents Concerned Over Methane Gas

Residents of a Bronx neighborhood are concerned that construction of a golf course on the site of an old landfill may be causing dangerous levels of explosive gas to be released into the air.

As the garbage underneath Donald Trump’s new landfill decays, it emits methane that can burn and in some cases explode.

Throggs Neck residents are worried that continued construction at the old Ferry Point landfill could have deadly consequences.

Recent measurements at the 222-acre site showed consistently high levels of gas in multiple areas, but according to officials measures have been put in place that will effectively prevent off-site migration of landfill gas.

Despite assurances from the State Department of Environmental Conservation, some people still have questions.

“Are there concentrations of ethane that we should be concerned about?” Councilman James Vacca said. “The people in my community want the golf course finished but they want a safe environment surrounding their homes.”

The community board in Throggs Neck asked the city to turn the landfill into a golf course back in the late 1970s. The $97-million project has been 35 years in the making and will be managed by Donald Trump when it opens in 2014.

A meeting has been scheduled to answer the immediate concerns about methane and to set up a system for residents to find out information as construction continues.