Hudson River Anchorages | Oil Barges on the Hudson

In the news

Carbon-Neutral Shipping on the Hudson

July 26, 2020

Scenic Hudson: These days the Hudson River can feel like a car barrier — something to cross on a bridge or drive alongside. But originally this curving waterway was the region’s superhighway.

A pilot project is nudging the Hudson Valley ...

Rep. Maloney hails House-approved measure to ban Hudson River anchorage grounds

August 11, 2019

Kingston Daily Freeman: Federal legislation to permanently bar large vessels from anchoring in the Hudson River between Kingston and Yonkers is halfway to the president’s desk.

The bill, authored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold Spring, has cleared the House ...

14-foot fish spotted in river, giving hope to vanished giant’s return

May 30, 2019

National Geographic: One day last June, two researchers were towing a special sonar system up and down the Hudson River near Hyde Park, New York, the site of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home, when they saw something pleasantly shocking.

They ...

The Hudson River Named 2nd Most Endangered River in America

April 27, 2019

Westchester Magazine: The Hudson River, namesake to an entire art movement and a central pillar of Westchester culture, has another distinction to add to its list: as of 2019 it is also the second most endangered river in the United ...

Amtrak Withdraws Fencing Plan along Hudson

January 21, 2019

Amtrak has announced that it is withdrawing its plan to install gates and fences along the Hudson River shoreline. According to the Amtrak press release, the proposal will be revised “in conjunction with a five-year corridor plan to improve safety ...

Scenic Hudson, Germantown and Rhinebeck to host event on Amtrak’s proposal for new fencing and locked gates

November 27, 2018

Amtrak has proposed new fencing and locked gates at crossings along the Empire Corridor South between Rhinecliff and Stuyvesant. Eventually, it plans to construct similar barriers at locations between Rensselaer and Poughkeepsie.

Amtrak’s project would eliminate public access to the ...

USACE to hold hearing in Westchester about storm barrier proposal and impact on Hudson River

October 3, 2018

Sen. Murphy press release: Albany, NY – When the United States Coast Guard announced an ill-conceived plan to establish 10 new anchorage sites for oil barges along the Hudson River, Senator Terrence Murphy led the charge that ultimately sank their ...

Scenic Hudson: New Study Details Oil Spill Risks on Hudson River

October 3, 2018

New study provides first-ever comprehensive scientific analysis of risks to drinking water, habitats, riverfront communities. Report comes as U.S. Department of Transportation repeals rule requiring more efficient brakes on trains carrying crude oil, other flammable substances

HUDSON VALLEY—Polluted habitats and beaches ...

Storm Surge Barriers: A threat to the very life of the Hudson & Harbor

August 21, 2018

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering several options for coastal storm protections in our region, and some of these options would have catastrophic consequences for the Hudson and New York Harbor. Specifically, storm surge barriers – giant ocean ...

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What it’s all about

The U.S. Coast Guard is considering a proposal to establish ten new anchorage grounds on the Hudson River from Yonkers to Kingston, New York.

The proposal comes at the request of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York/New Jersey, which represents various interests in the shipping and petroleum industries. The Association says that more anchorage grounds will improve navigation safety along portions of the Hudson River where there are currently few or no anchorages.

In its letter to the Coast Guard, the Association points out that barge traffic “has increased dramatically” over the past few years — due largely to the influx of fracking oil arriving by rail at the Port of Albany — and this traffic will increase “significantly over the next few years” due to the recent lifting of the ban on exporting crude oil.

Opponents of the proposal argue that the anchorages, which provide 42 long-term mooring berths (and one short-term), will turn into parking lots for barges, facilitate more commercial traffic, and “reindustrialize” the Hudson.

The barges pollute the river with their noisy generators and “stadium” lighting, and their anchors drag on the river bottom, which damages the habitats of endangered fish species. An increase in commercial traffic also puts recreational boaters in danger. Most worrisome of all is that more oil barges on the Hudson will increase the risks of a catastrophic spill.

The Coast Guard is seeking public comments and information about the operational need for new anchorage grounds, what form possible regulations should take, and the potential impacts on riverside communities. Everyone is encouraged to file comments with the Coast Guard, which has extended the deadline from Sept. 7 to Dec. 6, 2016.

Coast Guard Postings Regarding Suspension of the Rulemaking Process on the Anchorage Proposal and Initiation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment process

On June 29, 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard posted three documents on Regulations.gov regarding its decision about the anchorage proposal.

On September 8, 2017, the Coast Guard issued a press release announcing the details of the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment on Hudson River.

On November 7-8, a workshop will be held in the Mid-Hudson region.
On November 15-16, a workshop will be held in Albany, New York.
Coast Guard experts will host two informational PAWSA webinars on Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Information about the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) Workshops can be found here:

Comments to the Coast Guard

The deadline for submitting comments was Dec. 6, 2016.

As of Dec. 17, 2016

0

Comments Submitted

See the comments submitted to the Coast Guard here.
View letters from elected officials, organizations, industry, and town resolutions here.

Legislation restricting the anchorage

Hudson Valley elected officials have been working on legislation that addresses the threat posed by the Coast Guard’s proposal to establish ten new anchorage grounds on the Hudson River. Several environmental groups have issued memoranda of support for this legislation, and some local governments have also passed resolutions supporting the bills. Here are some links: