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PLACE: The United Church of Spring Valley - Mendum Room East Church Street at Centre, Spring Valley, New York 10:30 A.M. Business Meeting - Reports on Important Environmental Issues 11:15 A.M. Program: 2002 NY-NJ Highlands Regional Study Updates. Martina C. Hoppe, Regional Planner Ms. Hoppe is currently managing the completion of the NY-NJ Highlands Regional Study. Prior to working for the Forest Service, she was a planning consultant and wrote comprehensive plans and updated zoning ordinances for communities in Westchester County, New York. She also managed community-based environmental projects in underserved New York City communities as part of a Forest Service funded program. Ms. Hoppe has a bachelor' s and master's degree in city and regional planning from Cornell University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
THE HIGHLANDS The Highlands Coalition has published a pictorial guide of the region, "The Highlands: Our Backyard Paradise." The following is from the introduction to this beautiful booklet:
The Highlands Coalition includes more than ninety national, state, regional and local organizations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut working together to protect and enhance the sustainability of natural and human communities in the Highlands. For more information contact: The Highlands Coalition P.O. Box 118 In September the Rockland County Conservation Association - as part of the Torne Valley Coalition, which successfully fought the proposed power plants in Torne Valley - received a Recognition Award from The Highlands Coalition "For Outstanding Grassroots Achievements in Highlands Protection."
ROCKLAND COUNTY OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION PROGRAM Rockland County is the smallest County outside of New York City. Presently, just 10% of the County remain undeveloped; the majority of which is either environmentally sensitive or farmland. Today, there are just 5 remaining fruit and vegetable farms encompassing 250 acres. Preservation of these irreplaceable resources prompted the County to plan carefully, thoughtfully and cooperatively to preserve open space for the future. In 1999, County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef announced the County's first Open Space Acquisition Program to acquire areas of scenic beauty, environmentally sensitive lands, farms and Hudson River waterfront areas. The County has committed $30 million dollars to acquire properties over the next 5 years. To coordinate this program, the Open Space Advisory Committee was created to developed specific guidelines, policies and procedures for land acquisition and protection. The committee consisted of representatives from County Departments, County Legislature, Environmental Organizations and citizens. Over a period of 6 months the committee prepared guidelines that would describe which properties the County was most interested in preserving. After two public meetings were held to discuss the guidelines, the Open Space Guidelines were finalized. In addition, a nomination form was created to be used by the public and elected officials to nominate properties into the program. In October 1999, the Open Space Acquisition Program began accepting nominations. At the closing of the first round of nominations in January 2000, a total of 25 properties were nominated encompassing 2,225 acres of land. A second round of nominations was held in 2001 with an additional 21 properties submitted for nomination into the program. At the closing of accepting nominations, staff reviewed each submission and evaluated them according to Guidelines. The County Executive selects the properties to be acquired and submits them to the County Legislature for consideration. The overwhelming public support we have received has encouraged several of the Towns in Rockland County to develop their own open space preservation programs. Properties Acquired to Date:
Properties Proposed for Acquisition:
-- R. Allan Beers, Coordinator
TRANSPORTATION On September 19, 2002, the Governments United in Action for Responsible Development, a conglomerate of local officials and interested parties from 20 municipalities on both sides of the Tappan Zee Bridge, met in the legislative building in New City. Local transportation concerns were the meeting's focus. Particularly, attention was on the progress of the process to determine whether a new bridge will be built and the way which indigenous locales can most influence the issue during the Thruway and Metro North's review process which is now under way. GUARD was addressed by James Banks, a partner in the prestigious Washington D.C. law firm of Hogan and Hartson. Mr. Banks advised the group to be positive in its position, to cohere around a preferred alternative and advocate it throughout the process. The lawyer's advice brought to mind a proposal visited in several transportation updates at RCCA meetings. It is the recommendation of the late Richard Duffy, who was Empire State Passenger Association's Westchester representative, for a TZ Bridge foyer elevator to a Metro North platform stop on the tracks below. Passengers could descend to the transfer stop from above and NYC bound commuters could avoid traveling through the village to the Tarrytown station. Duffy was a railroad man and hoped for east/west light rail but the idea is feasible for bus service, too. Parking in Rockland, commuters enter buses to cross the bridge, take the elevator to the tracks, board the train to NYC. The buses turn around - there's already a service tunnel beneath the bridge plaza - and head back to Rockland for another busload. The reverse commute repeats the process east to west. Rockland's Commissioner of Transportation James Yarmus is doing yeoman public service in establishing commuter parking lots with bus pick-ups and returns. The Thruway's process lists the TZ transfer stop as one of the alternatives at which it is looking. Is it an idea whose time has come? Ask any Tarrytowner, "Do you like Rockland rush hour commuter buses on your streets?" Ask any Rockland commuter, "Do you enjoy the extra twenty minute bus ride to Tarrytown station from the bridge?" This alternative is direct, quick, good in inclement weather and relatively inexpensive to create. It is a plus for both sides of the river. Common sense hasn't collapsed, has it? -- Jeanne Nelson
THE ROCKLAND COUNTY STREAM TEAM STORM DRAIN MARKER PROGRAM A common denominator of all residents is the storm drain system in the street near their homes. Many are unaware that every storm drain in Rockland County empties into a river, stream, reservoir, wetland, pond or the Hudson River. Through ignorance people, who may think the waste goes to our sewage disposal plants, pat pollutants into storm drains. (This pollution does not belong in our sewage disposal plants, either!) The problem includes yard waste, paint, waste oil, pesticides, pet droppings and other household hazardous waste. Organizations eager to protect Rockland County's water resources from such pollution initiated the Storm Drain Marker Program. We wanted to create a low-tech, educational project that would emanate like a ripple in a pond - neighborhood to neighborhood. The program assists citizen groups and municipalities to coordinate "Stream Teams" to apply storm drain markers at local storm drains. The 2-1/2 inch, round, plastic markers carry the message, "No Dumping Drains to Stream," and feature a picture of a fish. An educational brochure for distribution to residents accompanies the markers. All supplies are free to participants. Markers, glue and brochures are funded by United Water New York. The firm of Lawler Matusky & Skelly Engineers has provided a grant for postage and publicity, and other supplies have been donated by Home Depot. When people see the words, "No Dumping Drains to Stream," and read the brochure, they will get the message that each of us can help to safeguard our water supply by ensuring, "only rain goes in the drain." The Rockland County Stream Team is Co-Chaired by Ronald C. Delo, PE, Executive Director, Rockland County Sewer District No. 1 and Diane Gruskin, Executive Director, Rockland County Environmental Management Council. Other members are:
Join the Rockland County Stream Team! -- Diane Gruskin, Executive Director
MIRANT BOWLINE UNIT 3, HAVERSTRAW A request by Riverkeeper and Scenic Hudson to reopen hearings on the Bowline 3 power plant was denied recently by the siting board. The two organizations had advocated for the "dry cooling" method, which would better protect marine life in the Hudson. In March Mirant was given permission to construct the third plant on a 25-acre site at Bowline Point, near Bowline plants 1 and 2. The company had previously deferred a decision to build the plant because of economic conditions. Now it is expected that this new $500 million plant will begin operation in 2006. It will be run by natural gas and oil and will produce 750 megawatts of electricity. Three years ago, the Rockland County Conservation Association and the Passaic River Coalition joined as active parties in the Bowline 3 case. Areas of concern included the proposed use of large quantities of potable water from limited supplies in Rockland, and the plant's impact on air quality. Air quality remains a serious concern. Mirant's Lovett plant in Tomkins Cove is a well-known polluter. And while Bowline 3 may be cleaner than Lovett, it is not clean. Particulate matter and other pollutants from its emissions will simply add to existing pollution and further degrade air quality. Rockland County is part of a "nonattainment area" for air quality, and Rockland still does not have an air-monitoring station.
"NOWHERE TO RUN" A 21-minute documentary on Indian Point was produced for the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC) by Tobe Carey of Willow Mixed Media. "Nowhere to Run" clearly explains all aspects of the issue, including security from attack, the oversight role of the NRC, the plant's troubled operational history, the potential dangers of the spent fuel storage, the evacuation plan, the limited capabilities to treat radiological contamination cases, the potential economic impact of closure, and energy production from alternative, renewable, environmentally friendly sources. This documentary may be purchase for $10, plus $4 shipping costs. Please contact KC at 845-454-7673, extenuation 101, or write to kc@clearwater.org -- From: HVSCN@aol.com RCCA Newsletter - Betty Hedges, bhbettyhedges@aol.com
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Last Updated: September 09, 2003 |
