Riverkeeper: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today reconvened the Hudson River Waterfront Alliance (HRWA) at the Yonkers Waterfront Esplanade to announce the Alliance’s maritime counsel and expert findings regarding the proposal by the Maritime Association of the Port of New York/New Jersey Tug and Barge Committee for 43 additional barge anchorages along the Hudson River from Yonkers to Kingston.

HWRA’s maritime counsel and expert concluded the Committee has “fallen far short of demonstrating an actual need for these anchorages,” their locations or for any long-term anchoring in this area. Legal counsel also concluded that the proposed rule-making requires review under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and that the “categorical exclusion” from environmental review typically afforded new anchorage sites is completely inappropriate in this case.

Legal counsel’s findings demonstrate that this anchorage proposal would have numerous significant environmental impacts which collectively require a full environmental review before the proposal can proceed further.

The findings were submitted today by the HRWA to the United States Coast Guard as public comments opposing the proposal of the 43 new anchorage locations, 22 of which will be located along the Westchester County Hudson River waterfront.  Read more.