Monthly Archives: April 2013

The above screenshot was taken on March 26, 2013 at 9:33 am the day before the March 27, 2013 public hearing for the site plan, special use permit and lot line consolidation.

This screenshot was taken on March 26, 2013 at 8:57 pm. Not only did we catch the Town of Wawayanda’s public notice failure but look…there’s more:  the State Environmental Quality Review Findings Statement dated May 23, 2012! Why did they wait almost a year before posting it to their Web site?

Planned plant is trouble

Wake up, people, Competitive Power Ventures’ hydrofracked gas-fueled electric generating plant planned to be built off Route 6 near the Middletown-Wawayanda line is unnecessary, will generate air pollution, jeopardize our health, endanger water resources, further dependence on fossil fuels, and contribute to climate change and catastrophic weather, the consequences of which we will have to pay. Oppose this project.

Renewable energy, reportedly, provided 82 percent of all new U.S. electrical generating capacity in the first quarter of 2013. The journal Science Today reported that a study by Mark Jacobson, a senior fellow of Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy, and scientists from Cornell and the University of California-Davis, demonstrated that it is technically and economically feasible to convert New York’s energy infrastructure to one powered by wind, water and sunlight.

Imagine, a decline of 4,000 air-pollution-related deaths annually, a savings of $33 billion or 3 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, in related costs every year.

This savings alone would pay for the power infrastructure needed in short order, and decreased pollution would reduce climate change costs, such as coastal erosion and extreme weather damage by an estimated $3.2 billion per year.

Randolph Hurst

Slate Hill

Not All Back Project

I attended the Waywayanda Planning Board meeting that was to address any site plan issues concerning the proposed CPV natural gas power plant. That discussion never happened.

The overwhelming majority in attendance were union trade workers, their representatives, local business leaders and, not surprisingly, Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano and a few members of the Common Council. Middletown will sell “gray water” from its sewage treatment plant to cool the power plant. The mayor stated that all of Middletown was in favor of the project. He misspoke.

All those people spoke about jobs and the money to be made by the town. No one mentioned that CPV’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement would dramatically reduce its tax liability. The minority of speakers were homeowners concerned about decreasing property values and the inherent dangers of this type of power plant, real concerns over health issues and possible catastrophic accidents.

I’ve been a dues-paying union member for more than 40 years, even in retirement. I strongly support job growth. Waywayanda is not the place for a project such as this. Remember, the tobacco industry created billions of dollars in employment revenue. Look where that got us.

Vincent Crescenzo

Middletown

Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) had a proposed 580MW power plant planned for the town of Walpole, MA. The following link reveals how CPV works to try to buy town officials, divide communities and walk all over the democratic process. Please read more here

Is CPV a good neighbor? You tell us, Town of Wawayanda and City of Middletown: “CPV’s sophisticated public relations campaign shows a clear pattern of empty promises, quiet negotiations, zoning changes, property tours, and the use of limited liability corporations across the country. CPV is not in business to be a good neighbor.” Read more here AND here

RIVERKEEPER

NY’S clean water advocate

                                                                                                                                                                                    April 5, 2013

VIA EMAIL

                Re:     Comments on the Necessity of the Proposed CPV Valley Energy Center

Dear Ms. Parsons:

               Riverkeeper, Inc. (Riverkeeper) submits the following coments on the proposed CPV Valley Energy Center (the CPV Project) in the Town of Wawayanda, Orange County, New York, pursuant to the Town Planning Board’s extended comment period on the approval of this project.

               Riverkeeper is a member-supported watchdog organization dedicated to defending the Hudson River and its tributaries and protecting the drinking water supply of nine million New York City and Hudson Valley residents. Riverkeeper is actively involoved in litigation, advocacy, and public education surrounding the issue of shale gas extraction and related infrastructure, particularly because of the potential impacts on New York State’s drinking water supplies. Riverkeeper has also been advocating for the closure of Indian Point nuclear power plant, located in the Town of Buchanan, Westchester County, New York. As part of these efforts, Riverkeeper has taken the position that Indian Point’s power can and should be replaced with a portfolio of clean energy resources: renewable resources such as wind and solar and energy efficiency. The October 2012 Synapse Energy Economics report “Indian Pooint Replacement Analysis: A Clean Energy Roadmap”, co-commissioned by Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council, concludes:

                  New York could replace the entirety of Indian Point’s 2,060MW of capacity by implementing a clean energy portfolio comprised of 1,030MW of energy efficiency and 1,030MW of renewable capacity.1

1 TIM WOOLF ET AL., SYNAPSE ENERGY ECONOMICS, INC., INDIAN POINT REPLACEMENT ANALYSIS: A CLEAN ENERGY ROADMAP: A PROPOSAL FOR REPLACING THE NUCLEAR PLANT WITH CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE ENERGY RESOURCES 1-2 (Oct. 2012), available at http://www.riverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Synapse-Indian-Point-Replacement-Study-10-11.pdf

As such, Riverkeeper strongly believes that natural gas-powered energy is not necessary to replace energy currently provided by Indian Point. In light of this, the CPV Project is not necessary to implement a clean energy portfolio for New york, and we recommend that the Town of Wawayanda Planning Board should not approve the project.

                      Thank you for the opportunity to comment on these important issues.

                                                                                                                                                      Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                                      Kate Hudson

                                                                                                                                                       Watershed Program Director

Cc:     Pat Battiato

           Secretary, Town of Wawayanda Planning Board

           Pramilla Malick

           Stop the Minisink Compressor Station

According to follow the money dot org, New York State Governor Cuomo has taken campaign contributions from Nixon Peabody, LLP, lawyers (CPV) and lobbyists,  to the tune of  $81,760. Please see here

New York Common Cause, holding power accountable, has a three-part series called Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets. In its Part Three report it lists “Heavy Hitters: The Gas Industry’s Dirty Dozen”  campaign contributions and CPV is number FIVE! Here’s the graph and the part three report which you can read here  The report in its entirety is located here

Pro Publica’s “Pipelines Explained: How safe are America’s 2.5 Million Miles of Pipelines?” gives a better look at the pipelines in this country and points out disastrous results of some of them. You can see for yourself here

This is happening in every state and at every level of government! We the people MUST say ENOUGH! NO MORE!

The Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Air keeps an ever-growing list of the harmed. Please read their stories here: http://pennsylvaniaallianceforcleanwaterandair.wordpress.com/the-list/