by Peggy Kurtz and Gale Pisha
Grassroots environmental activists accomplished the seemingly impossible, stopping Suez, a multi-national corporation with plans for a hugely expensive and environmentally harmful desalination project for Rockland County’s drinking water.
In November, the NYS Public Service Commission announced the groundbreaking decision: UNITED WATER DIRECTED TO DISCONTINUE PURSUIT OF DESALINATION PLANT: Water Company Told to Explore Other Options for Water Sources.
One senior NYS staffer called the decision “an earthquake.”
The Atlantic Chapter has been one of the groups in the lead against the embattled proposal to desalinate Hudson River water for drinking water in Rockland County. The Sierra Club and other groups formed the Rockland Water Coalition seven years ago to fight this expensive, unsustainable project, which could irreparably harm the rich ecology of Haverstraw Bay, drive the state’s carbon footprint in the wrong direction, and expose residents to water drawn 3.5 miles downstream from Indian Point nuclear power plant, containing trace amounts of radioactive elements.
Thousands of residents packed hearings and submitted written comments opposing the plan. Approximately 26,000 citizens signed petitions against it.
In a huge victory for the Atlantic Chapter and the coalition, the PSC determined that there is no immediate need for a new water supply source and ordered Suez/United Water to stop pursuing desalination.
Instead of pursuing desalination, the commissioners ordered Suez/United Water to work with a county task force on financially and environmentally sound alternatives—a major turnaround for the state and a major step forward for the environment.
In a much more mixed decision on the same day, the PSC rejected, for now, the company’s application for a $60.3 million surcharge for preconstruction costs for the proposal, but also ruled that at least $40 million of these costs might be reimbursable in the future.
What we have gained, though, is huge, and we would not have won this much without the Sierra Club, other coalition groups and a key group of elected officials. With the newly established Rockland County Water Task Force, the stage is now set for the next phase, with the opportunity to work with nationally renowned experts to create a model water conservation policy. If we succeed, the result could be a model not only for New York but for the region.
A huge thank you to all Sierra Club members who have played such a role in stopping this ill conceived project. Your calls to the governor, comments and donations turned this runaway train around!
What you can do
Donate: Your donations will help Sierra Club hire experts to advise us in the creation of a sustainable water policy. Checks should be made payable to Sierra Club Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 792, Pearl River, NY 10965. Please write “desalination” in the memo line.
Come work with us!
Rockland Sierra Club meets monthly. Dates are posted to the Lower Hudson Group's website.
Peggy Kurtz and Gale Pisha are co-chairs of the Lower Hudson Group Desalination Committee