WAWAYANDA – The grassroots
organization Protect Orange County, which has been in the lead opposing
construction and operation of the CPV electric generating plant along
Route 6 in the Town of Wawayanda is “not surprised by CPV and Millennium’s
attempt once again to avoid addressing the impacts to air and water quality,”
according to its group’s leader.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday overruled the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s decision of weeks ago, which said insufficient information was provided to demonstrate there would be no significant threat to the water supply with the construction of the 7.9 mile extension of the Millennium Pipeline to the power plant, which has yet to be activated.
Protect Orange County’s Chairwoman Pramilla Malick said this weekend that the parties bent on building and turning on the plant “have been getting away with this from the very beginning.” She noted that 6,000 comments were submitted to the DEC documenting “significant threats to water quality and species habitat from the proposed Valley Lateral Project.”
Malick said DEC “took an enormous risk with our water by rejecting the permit on procedural grounds rather than substantive water impacts. Now they have a legal and moral responsibility to defend that decision, immediately request a stay from the appropriate court, and ensure that the rights of New Yorkers are preserved.”
She said the FERC ruling takes the case “beyond just Orange County and this one project. This is a matter of state’s rights in the face of egregious federal overreach.”
Malick charged Millennium “is seeking to circumvent the state’s authority. Cuomo and the DEC can regain control by rescinding the state permits and pulling the plug on CPV once and for all.”
