Scenic Hudson Reacts to U.S. Rep. Maloney Announcement about Halting Expanded Anchoring by Crude-Oil Barges
Andy Bicking
Director of Public Policy & Special Projects, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Cell: 914 489 1568
abicking@scenichudson.org
UPDATE: Upon careful review of Coast Guard policy, it’s now clear that the development outlined below does not effectively eliminate the proposal to anchor many more crude-oil barges on the Hudson. It creates a structured process for evaluating the potential need for anchorages and their risk to the public, the environment and our communities. See this page for more information on the Coast Guard process.
This is a significant achievement, but there’s more work to be done. Scenic Hudson will continue fighting the anchorages, and we’ll look to citizens and other allies to stay active in the cause.
HUDSON VALLEY— Scenic Hudson has stated that the Hudson River Valley’s public health, safety and economic vitality all will be winners if the U.S. Coast Guard halts its proposal to permit 10 new anchorages and 43 berths for crude-oil carrying vessels on the Hudson River. U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney has announced that this is likely to happen as a result of Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin today stating that the Coast Guard would suspend future rulemaking decisions for at least one year, which will effectively kill the proposal.
Scenic Hudson commended U.S. House of Representatives members Maloney and Eliot Engel for their leadership on this issue. Their efforts have included introducing the Hudson River Protection Act in the U.S. Congress in an effort to safeguard Hudson waterfront communities against the U.S. Coast Guard’s proposal.
Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said, “The U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to suspend rulemaking for proposed new anchorages on the Hudson is a major victory for the people, communities and businesses whose health, safety and prosperity depend on our region’s greatest resource—the Hudson River. Scenic Hudson commends the Coast Guard and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney for his terrific leadership and Congressman Engel for co-sponsoring recent legislation. We also congratulate Governor Cuomo, Attorney General Schneiderman, Yonkers Mayor Spano, other valley leaders and our partner Riverkeeper for coming together to achieve this victory.”
Scenic Hudson Director of Public Policy Andy Bicking added, “If the anchorages proposal is killed, the Hudson River will be spared from impacts to half a dozen drinking water intakes that are in close proximity to the proposed anchorage sites and a major threat to public safety, with Indian Point nuclear plant a few miles downstream from another. The more than 10,000 comments the Coast Guard received from the public, most of them opposed to the concept, have been vital to this important victory.”
About Scenic Hudson
Scenic Hudson preserves land and farms and creates parks that connect people with the inspirational power of the Hudson River, while fighting threats to the river and natural resources that are the foundation of the valley’s prosperity. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley’s inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 65 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 40,000 acres.
