Rockland County Times: The U.S. Coast Guard’s plan to place several “parking spots” for crude oil barges and other tankers along the banks of the Hudson is being challenged in Albany.

The barge anchorage locations the Coast Guard is entertaining would permit more than 40 barges to “rest”  along the river’s coastline from Yonkers to Kingston to await arrival or departure times from the Port of Albany, a move that New York’s vocal environmental groups have come out against loud and clear.

While the maritime industry may support it, the Herculean efforts to clean up the Hudson and to balance the historic “waterway of industry” with the riverfront’s massive recreational/lifestyle makeover is currently being challenged in Albany, where bills in the Assembly (A006825) and Senate (S05197) are under consideration. Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports the measure.

As recently as April, 2017, a barge carrying 60,000 gallons of gasoline ran aground near Catskill in Greene County. It was stuck for hours as workers tried to determine if it was leaking as a result of striking rocks about 30 feet from the shoreline. Luckily, no damage was found and it was eventually towed to deeper water to continue on its way.

“It is a real concern for all of us that the Federal government wants to negatively impact the waterfront and the communities and thinks we are going to do nothing about it,” said Deputy Supervisor Tom Basile. “The bills currently in Albany have a lot of support and would enable the state to control the anchorage areas to ensure the Hudson River and its waterfront communities will be protected.”  Read more.