The Danskammer LLC has proposed that a little-used facility bordering the Hudson River in Newburgh be converted into a year-round fracked gas power plant. And they have sent a 20,000 dollar housewarming gift.
This came in the form of a donation to the town of Marlborough for “beautification projects,” supposedly spurred by the desire to be a “good neighbor.” It amounts to little more than outright bribery, and it is clear evidence of the uneven ground on which citizens and corporations stand in today’s world.
I am a high school student. I have a deeply vested interest in whether the Danskammer plant is approved or not. Air quality in the Hudson Valley is already graded “C” or “D” by the American Lung Association, contributing to high rates of childhood asthma; Danskammer threatens to make it worse. Beyond this, Danskammer will contribute to climate change, scorching the world that I and my generation will inherit. (The plant also contradicts Governor Cuomo’s stated goal of 100% clean energy by 2040).
However, I don’t have 20,000 dollars to throw around, and neither do most people. Our system does not afford ordinary citizens (i.e., those who are impacted the most) the same influence as special interests. I can only hope that Governor Cuomo will act to preserve the wellbeing of the people – and my future – over Danskammer’s profit margin.
Nachman Kaul-Seidman
Town of Poughkeepsie
June 20, 2019
