Will the Hudson Valley be the ‘Happy Garbage Dumping Ground Capital’ for the Northeast?

To the editor:

What does a gas compressor site in Malden Bridge have in common with area waste dumping/burning sites? Hint all are “regulated” by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and that’s not comforting to me.

During the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline (NED) campaign, members of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline met with DEC about this fracked gas pipeline proposal. Among other things, they discovered that DEC did very little air and soil monitoring of a fracked gas compressor station in Malden Bridge. DEC only did pre-announced occasional field tests in Malden Bridge. DEC relied, and continues to rely on, the Kinder Morgan Company, operators of the Malden Bridge compressor station, to provide it with the required air quality data. Talk about the Kinder Morgan fox guarding the Malden Bridge chicken house.

DEC did not require information about many environmentally dangerous chemicals at all including radon. New York State law did not require such testing, plus DEC was “short staffed” and, as a result not able to adequately protect its citizens.

DEC also permitted giant construction and demolition debris landfills in the city of Rensselaer that is plagued with other problems and brings hundreds of trucks into the tiny city.

So, wouldn’t the same stunted supervision be repeated with any waste disposal/incineration stations such as in the city of Rensselaer or in Ravena/Coeymans, both of which are now considering waste dumping/burning actions?

It’s obvious to me that more stringent environmental laws, and enforcement of same, are needed in NY and passage of a powerful proposed Local Law 2-Clean Air Law will truly help to protect the air, soil and water of all residents.

This proposed Clean Air Law will soon be voted upon by the Town of Coeymans. Encourage this Town Board to discuss, approve and adapt this law which would restrict what the Lafarge Company does and wishes to do with waste materials in Ravena/Coeymans for example.

Likewise, the city of Rensselaer needs to take the above information into account as it considers approving a new waste dump/incineration site within its confines. Ask the city officials if the risks are greater than the benefits and ask them to approve the proposed Clean Air Law too.

In summary, do you really wish for the Hudson Valley to be the “Happy Garbage Dumping Grounds Capital” for the Northeast?

Robert Connors

Member of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline

Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment

Columbia County Environmental Management Council

Canaan