Supervisor says NYC ignoring concerns
TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » Town Supervisor James Quigley says that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is ignoring town concerns over information and outreach about “brown water” releases into the Lower Esopus Creek.
Anger over an absence of response on several issues boiled over Tuesday, with Quigley firing off an email to city Commissioner Paul Rush to voice concern about local concerns being ignored.
“Several weeks ago, in anticipation of extended period of releases into the Esopus Creek of ‘brown water,’ I called Bill Richardson and made a suggestion that a public outreach campaign be conducted in advance of the releases,” Quigley wrote.
Quigley echoed concerns that have been raised by other municipal leaders, including Kingston Mayor Steve Noble and Saugerties town Supervisor Fred Costello.
“I felt that this was a prudent step given that the NYCDEP and (state Department of Environmental Conservation) have (an environmental impact study) open for public comment,” he wrote. “My suggestions were ignored.”
In response, Adam Bosch, Director of Public Affairs for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, said that “The Ashokan Releases Working Group – which includes elected and appointed members from all the lower Esopus communities and a bevy of stakeholder groups – received a detailed briefing on reservoir operations, releases and future projections on Friday, March 19.”
New York City officials are seeking state permission to continue sending up to 600 million gallons of muddy water per day downstream and has filed environmental studies it contends show there are no harmful impacts. The releases prevent the turbidity from going into the city’s next reservoir in Kensico, where a chemical is then applied to settle the mud before it going to a treatment facility.
Ulster town resident Mary Jo Frederich notes that residents along Glenerie Boulevard are questioning how New York City reached conclusions used for the state filings.
“I’ve been reading the results
of the last study and it seems they only used 105 responses from people adjacent to the water and 87 responses from people 500 feet to .05 miles from the creek in their analysis,” she said.
“Many of my neighbors did not receive the survey, most are not aware that there even was one,” Frederich said. “People in the
community are outraged by what is going on with the releases and that the conclusions ... were basically ‘no significant adverse impacts anticipated’ on the socioeconomic of the community.” Comments about
the discharges can be submitted until
5 p.m. June 16 to deppermitting@dec. ny.gov or Kristen CadyPoulin, NYS DEC Division of Environmental Permits, 625 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12233.