DSNY warning ticket taped to restaurant gate.
The DSNY (department of sanitation) has been issuing warnings to Chinatown businesses. The New rules requiring restaurants, grocery stores and other food establishment to place garbage into hard receptacles actually went into effect August 1 but the one-month grace period to comply is fast approaching Sept 1.
Starting Sept 1, the DSNY will issue tickets to those not in compliance. Fines will start at $50 for the first offense then increase to $100 for second and a third offense will cost the business $200.
Covered trash bins as per new DSNY requirements
Many Chinatown restaurants have started using the “rat proof” containers which the city hopes will cut down the exploding rat population.
Chinatown along with the rest of NYC has seen an explosion of rats during all hours of the day. Columbus Park’s rat population grew bold enough to casually forage during daylight hours where they fed on a buffet tossed by park goers. The NYC Health department employed a dry ice method to kill them by plugging tunnels with dry ice. The method was extremely effective, but the practice was discontinued because some cried it was cruel to suffocate them.