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Local Officials Encourage Public To Speak Out Against Barge Anchorage Plan

DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. - Citing a “bombshell” report released by Pace University, New York State Sen. Sue Serino has joined the cacophony of elected officials in the Hudson Valley that are protesting a proposal from the Coast Guard that would create anchorage sites for barges along the Hudson River.

Sound Shore officials are teaming in resistance of a proposal to park as many as 16 barges in the Hudson River along the riverfront.

Sound Shore officials are teaming in resistance of a proposal to park as many as 16 barges in the Hudson River along the riverfront.

Photo Credit: Scenic Hudson
New York State Sen. Su Serino at the Sleepy Hollow press conference with Senators Terrence Murphy and David Carlucci, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and other local officials

New York State Sen. Su Serino at the Sleepy Hollow press conference with Senators Terrence Murphy and David Carlucci, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and other local officials

Photo Credit: Contributed
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino applauded the extension of the deadline for written comment on the Riverfront barge anchorages.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino applauded the extension of the deadline for written comment on the Riverfront barge anchorages.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is leading the charge of Hudson Valley officials that are against a proposal that would allow barge parking anchor points off the shore.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is leading the charge of Hudson Valley officials that are against a proposal that would allow barge parking anchor points off the shore.

Photo Credit: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano

Since the Coast Guard announced a proposal that would include the installation of 16 anchor berths across 715 acres on the water between Yonkers and Dobbs Ferry, it has come under fire from local, county and state officials.

In September, the Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Coast Guard’s plan, which would include the installation of 16 anchor berths across 715 acres on the water between Yonkers and the Dobbs Ferry Train Station.

The resolution was proposed by Minority Legislation Leader John Testa and reviewed by the Board of Legislation’s Infrastructure Committee.

“Westchester is the first county to pass a resolution against the plan, and I hope other counties along the Hudson River follow our lead,” Tesla said in a statement. “The resolution should send a strong message to the Coast Guard and federal government that both Republicans and Democrats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators stand in opposition to the proposal to park barges laden with oil up and down he Hudson River just off the waterfronts of our communities.”

Serino joins Sen. Terrance Murphy, David Carlucci and dozens of local and county representatives that have objected the Coast Guard’s proposal. Tuesday marks the last day for the community to offer public input for the Coast Guard about their proposal. 

"I think we can all agree that we have the utmost respect for the U.S. Coast Guard, and if the Coast Guard has identified a safety issue along the Hudson, we are eager to work with them to address it," Serino said at a press conference in Kingsland Point in Sleepy Hollow on Monday.

“Through it’s silence and lack of transparency throughout the entire process, the Coast Guard has shown that it simply does not hold our communities - the ones that stand to be directly impacted by their current proposal - in the same regard." 

The Pace Environmental Policy Clinic has claimed that the proposal violates the Coast Guard’s policy procedures. According to the Clinic, “the Coast Guard is required to expressly seek input from relevant community stakeholders and undergo critical safety and environmental studies before publishing their Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register.

“To date, there has been no evidence to indicate that the Coast Guard followed through on these established procedures.”

“To find out (the Coast Guard) have even gone so far as to violate their own established protocol in putting the proposal forward is not only frustrating, it’s incredibly disappointing,” Serino added. “I join my colleagues to call on the Coast Guard to finally scrap their current plan and urge them to begin to work alongside our local communities to find solutions to improve river safety without negatively impacting the economy, the environment or the quality of life of the communities along the Hudson.”

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