Politics & Government

Orangetown Expected to Call for Issues Conference on Desal Project

Tuesday night, the Orangetown Council continued the debate on the need for an Issues Conference regarding United Water's planned Haverstraw Water Supply desalination plant. 

The board invited speakers to present the argument for desalination, including Michael Pointing, vice president and general manager for United Water New York, and Al Samuels of the Rockland Business Association, one week after hearing from a large group of opponents of the plan

The Orangetown Council is expected to vote during its regular meeting May 28 to pass a resolution urging The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to hold the Issues Conference, a measure similar to the ones passed by the Villages of Suffern and Piermont Tuesday.  

All five members of the Orangetown Council stated their opinions during Tuesday's workshop. Supervisor Andy Stewart and Councilmen Tom Diviny and Tom Morr said they would likely vote to support the resolution calling for the issues conference. Councilmen Denis Troy and Paul Valentine said they would vote against it. There was discussion of holding the vote at the workshop, but they ultimately chose to wait until the May 28 meeting.  

"Right now it is 3-2 in support of a resolution calling upon New York State to host an issues hearing on the desal proposal, and I am happy to see town board support on this, an issue that I have been working on and concerned about, and that I know so many Orangetown residents are concerned about," Stewart said. 

Diviny said he was concerned that the project would encourage overdevelopment elsewhere in the county. 

"If we don't take into consideration the growth in Ramapo and what the desal plant will allow to happen there, it's a disservice to our kids and grandkids," Diviny said. "If we vote against the issues conference, basically we are green lighting Ramapo. I think we can't do it. Also, the residents of Orangetown that have reached out to me want the issues conference. I haven't gotten one text, one email or one call form a resident who doesn't want it." 

Valentine and Troy both expressed concerns that the opposition to the desalination could slow or stop economic growth in Orangetown. 

"Mr. Diviny and I agree on most things, but telling me I'm green lighting Ramapo by not voting for the issues conference, I see those as separate issues," Troy said. 

The issues conference would take a closer look at United Water's plan to use a desalination plant to treat water from the Hudson River to supplement the county's supply. Opponents of the plan have argued that the cost of the plant, which will be passed along to customers, is too much and that it is not necessary. They have also claimed that United Water is not providing enough information. 

Pointing addressed those issues Tuesday. He said that United Water is under a state mandate to create a long-term supplement to the water supply in Rockland County and that the desalination plant is the best and cheapest of three options they considered. 

"There will be increases (in prices) for our customers," Pointing said. "We are trying to be responsible and make the increases as small as we can. When we look at things from an environmental, cost and sustainability perspective, the Haverstraw Water Supply Project meets all those requirements hands down. The project would cost around $130 million. The other alternatives would be around $230 to $240 million. 

"The impact on our customer bills for Haverstraw is not $500 per customer. Opponents to the project have been embellishing, sensationalizing and bending facts on a number of issues." 

Pointing did admit that he could not say what the cost would be to customers. He and Samuels both argued that development in Rockland County could grind to a halt without a boost to the water supply. 

"There are 800,000 gallons of water allocated. After that, the health department would stop approving building permits," Pointing said. "We would be in a building moratorium, not just for Ramapo or Clarkstown, but for the county." 

Samuels said that questions about the water supply long term are already a concern for businesses that might expand into Rockland County.  

"This is a project that will determine the economic development future of Rockland County," Samuels said. "The public service commission some years ago determined that in fact, Rockland was heading for a point in time that there would not be enough water to support the population and economic development. 

"Some people are hoping to block the process, hoping that if they can tie United Water up, the building moratorium will be imposed on Rockland and our plans for economic development in Rockland will come to a halt. It would take years to overcome the negative impact."
 
He said United Water has already put $43 million into the project, including putting together an 800-page statement on the environmental impact. He said the issues conference would raise the expense of the project by delaying it. He argued that United Water has done enough research into the project.  

"The issues conference could stretch this out to 2015 and cost millions," Pointing said. "Interest will accrue. If at the end of the conference, the ruling is still to build the project, you could see costs spiraling."


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