Mobro 4000
Encyclopedia
The Mobro 4000 was a barge
made infamous in 1987 for hauling the same load of trash along the east coast of North America
from New York
to Belize
and back until a way was found to dispose of the garbage. During this journey, local press often referred to the Mobro 4000 as the Gar-barge.
Chartered by entrepreneur
Lowell Harrelson and Long Island mob boss Salvatore Avellino
, it set sail on March 22 from Islip, New York
, escorted by the tugboat
Break of Dawn and carrying 3,168 ton
s of trash headed for a pilot program in Morehead City, North Carolina
, to be turned into methane
. The barge was docked at Morehead City, until a WRAL-TV
news crew, acting on a tip, flew by helicopter to the coast to investigate. Action News 5 Reporter Susan Brozek broke the story on the 6 p.m. news on April 1, 1987, and North Carolina
officials began their own investigation, which resulted in an order for the Mobro to move on.
The barge then proceeded along the coast looking for another place to offload and continuing to meet stiff resistance. The Mexican Navy
denied it entrance to their waters. It made it as far south as Belize
, again being rejected, before returning to New York. Upon arrival it was met with a temporary restraining order and a heated legal battle preventing it from docking. In October, the trash was finally incinerated in Brooklyn
and the resulting ash was buried where it originated, in Islip.
s and the media as emblematic of the solid-waste disposal crisis in the United States
due to a shortage of landfill
space: almost 3,000 municipal landfills had closed between 1982 and 1987, It triggered much national public discussion about waste disposal, and may have been a factor in increased recycling
rates in the late 1980s and after. It was this that caused it to be included in an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (series 2 episode 5) in which they debunk many recycling myths.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists
, the Mobro 4000 incident was caused by a combination of poor decision making by local Islip public officials and short-term difficulties triggered by changing environmental regulations.
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
made infamous in 1987 for hauling the same load of trash along the east coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and back until a way was found to dispose of the garbage. During this journey, local press often referred to the Mobro 4000 as the Gar-barge.
Chartered by entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Lowell Harrelson and Long Island mob boss Salvatore Avellino
Salvatore Avellino
Salvatore "Sal" Avellino is a mobster and caporegime in the Lucchese crime family who was involved in labor racketering in the garbage and waste management industry in Long Island, New York...
, it set sail on March 22 from Islip, New York
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, escorted by the tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Break of Dawn and carrying 3,168 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of trash headed for a pilot program in Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007...
, to be turned into methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
. The barge was docked at Morehead City, until a WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
news crew, acting on a tip, flew by helicopter to the coast to investigate. Action News 5 Reporter Susan Brozek broke the story on the 6 p.m. news on April 1, 1987, and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
officials began their own investigation, which resulted in an order for the Mobro to move on.
The barge then proceeded along the coast looking for another place to offload and continuing to meet stiff resistance. The Mexican Navy
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
denied it entrance to their waters. It made it as far south as Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, again being rejected, before returning to New York. Upon arrival it was met with a temporary restraining order and a heated legal battle preventing it from docking. In October, the trash was finally incinerated in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and the resulting ash was buried where it originated, in Islip.
Legacy
At the time, the Mobro 4000 incident was widely cited by environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
s and the media as emblematic of the solid-waste disposal crisis in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to a shortage of landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
space: almost 3,000 municipal landfills had closed between 1982 and 1987, It triggered much national public discussion about waste disposal, and may have been a factor in increased recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
rates in the late 1980s and after. It was this that caused it to be included in an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (series 2 episode 5) in which they debunk many recycling myths.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit science advocacy group based in the United States. The UCS membership includes many private citizens in addition to professional scientists. James J...
, the Mobro 4000 incident was caused by a combination of poor decision making by local Islip public officials and short-term difficulties triggered by changing environmental regulations.