Counties, towns, cities oppose Thruway Authority as lead agency in pipeline EIS

HUDSON VALLEY – Counties
and towns up and down the Hudson River have gone on record objecting to
the Thruway Authority acting as lead agency for the environmental review
of the Pilgrim Pipeline that is proposed to run along the Thruway corridor.
Opponents, including the counties of Albany, Greene, Ulster, Orange and Rockland, and a number of municipalities along the way, voice their opinions that the state Department of Environmental Conservation should do the study. Riverkeeper’s Kate Hudson said some 30 objections were filed by local governments by the December 16 deadline.
“I don’t think there could be a clearer message that is being sent to the DEC, the governor’s office, the Thruway Authority, about the grave concerns that all of these potentially the town and county paths about the environment,” Hudson said.
The communities believe the DEC, which is tasked with protecting the environment, should conduct the environmental reviews of the potential of constructing and operating dual oil pipelines along the Thruway.