Orangetown Votes For Desal Issues Conference

Speakers from in and outside Orangetown took their turn speaking for and against United Water's proposed Haverstraw Water Supply desalination plant during Tuesday's Orangetown Council meeting at town hall in Orangeburg.

Jocelyn DeCrecenzo even broke into song to explain her opposition to the desalination plant.

In the end, the Orangetown Council voted in favor of a resolution calling for the state to hold an issues conference to take a closer look at United Water's plan by a vote of 3-2, with Supervisor Andy Stewart and Councilmen Tom Diviny and Tom Morr in favor. Councilmen Denis Troy and Paul Valentine voted against the resolution, both pointing to the potential threat to economic growth in Orangetown. All five members of the town board voted as they said they would during last week's workshop. 

"Thanks for all the public in put and emails and calls," Valentine said. "I did a lot of research on this. I spent hours going over this stuff. Some people think companies are evil because they are companies. I don't this is a union or non-union issue. I think this will negatively effect the economic growth wee are working hard on in Orangetown and the future of the RPC property."

"I thank the member of the town council for considering this seriously," Stewart said. "I am very happy this motion has passed."

According to George Potanovic, Jr of the Rockland Water Coalition, four of the five towns in Rockland County have come out in support of the issues conference so far, with Haverstraw being the exception. Clarkstown and Ramapo have sent letters to the state calling for the issues conference and Stony Point passed a resolution similar to Orangetown's May 14.

Among the villages supporting the issues conference are Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Pomona, Montebello, Piermont, Suffern, South Nyack and Upper Nyack.

Orangetown's full resolution can be found on the Orangetown website here. Among the reasons cited for supporting the call for an issues conference is the number of residents of Orangetown and Rockland County who still question the environmental impact of the project. Concerns regarding the Town of Ramapo's high rate of development and the strain it puts on the county's water supply are also included in the resolution.

David Fried, a Democrat running for Rockland County Executive, focused his comments on that aspect of the resolution.

"I live in the town of Ramapo. I’ve had a front row seat for some very bad decisions," Fried said.  "I completely support the future destiny of each municipality to control their own zoning and planning. However, we have to recognize that development in one municipality, certainly in a small county like Rockland, absolutely has an impact on development, safety, and environmental issues in the other municipalities. Mother nature doesn’t know where the municipal borders are and water doesn’t stop and pay a toll before it goes from one town to another."

The issue was debated for weeks at Orangetown meetings, including public comments May 14 and during last week's workshop. 

Opponents of United Water's plan to use desalinated water from the Hudson River continued to raise concerns over the cost of the project, which would be passed along to the customers, as well as environmental issues and the question of whether contamination from Indian Point is a threat. Michael Mandel of Pearl River was among those who questioned the need for more water for the county, saying that United Water should stop using water from Rockland County in New Jersey.

"Stop unauthorized releases to New Jersey," Mandel said. "(United Water officials) stated the desalination plant was the cheapest alternative to supply more water. A conference would answer the question if we need more water and bring transparency regarding a comparison of costs between alternative."

Other points of dispute are whether or not United Water is being transparent enough, how much the plant would actually cost, the potential impact better efforts at conservation could have on the water supply and if United Water's releases of water into New Jersey are appropriate or not.

"I am speaking against the plant. We don't need it," Sister Dorothy Maxwell of Blauvelt said. "What we are reading is corporate greed, wanting to make more money. We know we have to use our resources and respect what has been given to us. "

Jan Degenshein of Orangetown said that without a large enough water supply, the town risks losing potential business interests and having ones that area already there leave. 

"Without adequate water, we put the community at risk from fire fighting and general health," Degenshein said. "The Rockland County Department of Health stated that we need to increase the water supply."

Stephen Reich was one of many members of Laborers Local 754 that came to speak in support of the desalination plant. 

"UW has done its due dilligence," Reich said. "If you really look at the data, it spells that out. The issue conference would be going over old data and cost more money."

John Dillon, an attorney for United Water and Pearl River resident, said Orangetown and others challenging the plan should have spoken up sooner.
 
"Because I respect this board so much, I am disappointed that the board is considering (supporting) this issues conference," Dillon said. "I am confident that none of you voting for this ever took the time to read the 800 page (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) from United Water. Now the Supervisor and town board member are prepared to demand more process? To what end? The notion that a board member would vote for this to send a message to Ramapo is ridiculous."
 
Laurie Seeding challenged Michael Pointing of United Water, who spoke Tuesday and last week, to look more closely at the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, saying that it shows the plant costing more money than Pointing has said it would cost. 

Check back with Patch for more from Tuesday's meeting.