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Thale recycling operator pledges testing, emergency training and follow‑up after fire‑access and building‑inspector concerns
Summary
The applicant for the Thale aggregate and C&D recycling facility summarized a long permitting history, said it has DEC Part 360 permits, and committed to supply geotechnical reports, testing plans, and written responses to building‑inspector and fire-department questions by Sept. 22. The fire department remains concerned about dead‑end access and hazardous-material access; applicant offered hammerhead turnarounds, a secondary access and joint responder training.
At its Sept. 17 meeting the Town of Greenburgh Planning Board reviewed a site-plan referral for Thale, an aggregate and construction & demolition recycling operation with a long operational history in the town.
Applicant counsel David Steinmetz and the project team summarized the procedural background: Thale holds New York State DEC authorizations (Part 360 solid-waste/C&D permits and stormwater permits) and earlier received a zoning-board special-use permit in March 2025 with multiple conditions. The applicant submitted a detailed response to town comments (Sept. 11) and a revised site plan that was distributed to staff in advance of the meeting.
Staff said the deputy building inspector's preliminary memo identified partial responses and outstanding plan items. The Elmsford Fire Department submitted a memo raising concerns about the dead-end access, hazardous‑material containment at the rear of the site, and turning radii for emergency vehicles. The applicant acknowledged those concerns, said most materials stored on site are permitted (concrete, rock, asphalt, etc.) and noted DEC rules preclude accepting hazardous waste; Ken Bresner (former NYSDEC regional materials manager) described the DEC's chemical‑testing regimen for C&D fill and said petroleum‑contaminated or hazardous wastes are not permitted at a C&D facility.
Applicant engineers described proposed access/turnaround improvements (hammerhead turnaround and a supplemental secondary access) and committed to provide a geotechnical report and the requested testing materials by Monday, Sept. 22. Safety consultant Irv Gill and applicant representatives described MSHA-level safety training, mock drills and an on‑site emergency-response plan; the applicant offered joint training and site familiarization sessions for local responders.
Given outstanding staff comments and the fire-department concerns, the board asked staff to circulate the August 4 meeting minutes and building-inspector comments, and asked the applicant to deliver written responses and required reports by Sept. 22 so the board can review them before a Sept. 29 meeting. No final action was taken; the item remains under review.
