WAWAYANDA – Bald and Golden eagles are protected under the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act and with the sighting
of a pair of nesting eagles in the path of the Millennium Pipeline lateral,
opponents of the CPV electric generating plant say the gas pipeline cannot
be extended to the facility in the Town of Wawayanda.
The founder of the Protect Orange County grassroots group, Pramilla Malick,
has written to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, bringing the
eagle issue to their attention.
Malick told agency Secretary Kimberly Bose that earlier this month, the
Millennium Pipeline Company inaccurately asserted that there was no indication
of Bald eagles along the planned lateral route. But, she said one of the
group’s members captured on video a pair of the nesting birds there.
Since the birds are an endangered species, Malick said the lateral cannot
be constructed. That decision would have to come from the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, Malick said.
Recently, FERC overruled the state, which refused to approve the gas line,
contending insufficient information was provided. A judge has issued a
temporary stay on the construction.
At Saturday’s rally, Malick urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to “following
in his father’s footsteps” and permanently keep CPV from opening
its power plant. When Mario Cuomo was governor, he refused to allow the
Shoreham nuclear power plant to open because of large scale local opposition.
