Environmental Effects of Infrastructures

Laguardia Airport

Air pollution caused by airports are similar in effect to the air pollution caused by that of any other kind of industrial polluter such as power plants, incinerators, and refineries. The only difference being is that airports are not subjected to or are exempt from following many of the rules that efficiently regulate and reduce the pollution caused by the other polluters. ¹ While air pollution caused by sources other than airports continues to stabilize or fortunately decrease, air pollution caused by airports continue to experience tremendous growth. This is very surprising because airplanes are responsible for creating greater levels of pollution in the air than many of the industrial polluters previously mentioned. For example, one statistic says that one 747 arriving and departing from an airport in New York City produces as much smog as a car driven over 5,600 miles, and as much polluting nitrogen oxides as a car driven nearly 26,500 miles. ¹ I bring up this matter about air pollution because it is one matter that is very matter, not to mention relevant to the species that inhabit Flushing Meadows Park. As I will mention later on, Flushing Meadows Park has become a habitat for birds. Birds will be highly affected by the pollution present in their airways.

Roadways

Many highways exist around the circumference of the park. Due to this fact the park is constantly surrounded by high speed vehicles that emit a continuous combination of hydrocarbons, nitrate, and metals onto the roadway. Furthermore these substances are washed directly into both Willow and Meadow Lake. In fact it is estimated that “each acre of the Van Wyck and Grand Central can be estimated to annually discharge some 20 pounds each of hydrocarbons and nitrate, a half pound each of lead, zinc and
copper, and two tons of suspended solids into receiving waters.” ³

Fragmented Watershed

Compared to in the past, less water flows through Flushing Meadows today. Previously more than 2000 acres of watershed or “the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place,” ⁴ it has diminished to nearly 300 acres immediately surrounding the park. The reason behind this is that “a major fraction of
the four to six square mile watershed of the twin lakes has been built over, paved, and channeled into storm water pipes.” ⁵ Furthermore, “ground water inputs have been compromised by the removal of vegetation and soil, ” ⁶ which was replaced instead by the addition of roadways and railroad tracks.

Much of the infrastructure built around Flushing Meadows Corona Park, especially the creation of several roadways, was designed to increase accessibility to the area of Flushing Meadows. Transportation to and from the park was needed when the area was picked as the official site for the 1939  World Fair. While the insertion of highways, subways, and other roadways has overall increased human attendance to the park, it has also led to damaging effects to Willow and Meadow Lakes. Not only has air pollution increased, but also has pollution to these areas of water. In other tabs throughout this web page we discuss other damaging environmental effects that have resulted at both the lakes, as well what currently being done to resolve these problems.

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