The County Executive Also Filed A Resolution Urging The County Legislature To Support This Position At Its December 15th Meeting
Kingston, NY – County Executive Mike Hein has formally filed a letter addressed to Basil Seggos, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), asking that the New York State Thruway Authority’s request to act as lead agency for the environmental review of the Pilgrim Pipeline project be denied. Noting that the DEC “…is the agency with the most expertise and broadest powers to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated review of this project…” the County Executive also requested that the DEC step in and assume lead agency itself.
“There are inherent environmental risks associated with a 169 mile pipeline carrying crude oil through the most populous communities within Ulster County, and our residents, at the very least, deserve a thorough, comprehensive review by the agency best suited to do so – the DEC,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “We have already raised concerns about the safety of trains carrying crude oil through Ulster County, and this pipeline project shares many of those dangers as well. It is important to note that the pipeline will not replace the trains since they each terminate at a different point; so in fact, Ulster County’s environmental risks increase exponentially. Due to the substantive risks involved I am also calling upon the Ulster County Legislature to pass a resolution at its next regular meeting urging the DEC to reject the Thruway Authority’s request and instead, assume lead agency status for the environmental review.”
The proposed Pilgrim Pipeline would be 169.89 miles long and run between Albany, New York and Linden, New Jersey. It would carry both the volatile Bakken crude as well as refined oil along the New York State Thruway right of way and pass through seven of Ulster County’s towns as well as the City of Kingston. Environmental and public safety concerns include ground water contamination, surface water pollution including the Rondout and Esopus Creeks and the Hudson and Wallkill Rivers, spill cleanup, and emergency response to a fire or explosion.
