At its peak of operation in 1986-87 , Fresh Kills received as much as 29,000 tons of trash per day . It was estimated that , if kept open , the landfill would have eventually reached a height of 500 ft or more , surpassing Todt Hill to become the highest point on the East Coast south of Mount Desert Island in Maine . Under local pressure , and with the support of Rudy Giuliani as the city 's mayor , and George Pataki as governor of New York state , who gave in to pressure from Guy Molinari , the Staten Island Borough President , and with support of the United States Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , the landfill site was finally closed on March 22 , 2001 , though it was temporarily reopened soon after for the September 11 , 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan ( see below ) . The garbage that had once gone to Fresh Kills was dealt with by shipping it to landfills in other states , primarily in Pennsylvania , but also in Virginia and Ohio . Some was also sent to New Jersey for incineration
September 11 , 2001 attacks
September 11 attacks
Fresh Kills Landfill