New York Law Journal: The U.S. Coast Guard said it has received more than 9,000 public comments about its proposal to designate 10 new areas on the Hudson River where petroleum-laden vessels may anchor.

Energy and transportation industry groups say the anchorage sites are needed to accommodate a surge in commercial traffic due in part to the lifting of the U.S. ban on crude oil experts. But critics, including environmental groups, say the plan would turn a stretch of one of the most scenic rivers in the United States into a “parking lot” for barges that are up to 600 feet long—a charge that is denied by a waterways operating group…

“Of primary concern, the cumulative impact of designating all the proposed anchorage areas would appear to be a dramatic increase in the number of anchorage locations and intensity of use,” the deputy secretary of state, Sandra Allen, wrote on behalf of the agencies. “The supporting information lacks sufficient justification and detail on the existing and anticipated use of these areas to address these concerns.” Read more.