UPDATE: FOR MORE INFO ON THE CENTRAL HUDSON OIL SPILL, CLICK HERE
Dear Neighbors,
Please plan to attend the Town of Ulster Board meeting on Tuesday, April 9th at 5pm at 1 Town Hall Drive, Lake Katrine (in person or virtually) where the town board will likely initiate the SEQRA process and refer the project (AGAIN) to the County. Listen to our comments to the county here.
**The public can share concerns during the public comment period at the top of the meeting LIVE or over Zoom if it is on the published agenda.**
Recently, the Lake Katrine and Glenerie Lake Park neighborhoods were recognized as being located in both a “potential Environmental Justice area” (by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation/NYSDEC) and “Disadvantaged Community” (by NYSERDA). We also live sandwiched between CSX train tracks and the Lower Esopus Creek, next to a federal wetland.
In 2019-2020, Bread Alone orchestrated a land swap with Central Hudson at their Lake Katrine location, which made it possible for Central Hudson to destroy the forest behind our homes.
That project resulted in:
– More than 28 acres of forest being allowed to be clear-cut, located on an aquifer, where shale and bedrock were blasted to make way for a new Central Hudson “Gas Village” training center, nearby the site of a former lumberyard with known soil contaminants;
– An NYSDEC Notice of Violation for pollution from discharges from stormwater runoff related to their construction activities that ran, in part, into a federal wetland pond that feeds the Lower Esopus Creek;
– Flooding under the CSX train tracks from the Central Hudson site through inadequately sized culverts, leaving residents with grave concerns about the potential of weakening the trackbed that sits just above Katrine Lane and Glenerie Boulevard where several hundred of our residents live;
– Ongoing flooding and erosion to resident’s properties in Lake Katrine and Glenerie Lake Park, likely due to increased stormwater from the Central Hudson site;
– New air, noise, and light pollution that was never mitigated during Central Hudson’s environmental review, and that negatively impacted residents downstream situated on the Lower Esopus Creek, displacing wildlife and causing harm to the environment.
In February/March, 2024, Bread Alone submitted an application to expand its operations by a total of 13,200 sq. ft. that will likely add to the stormwater problems in our neighborhood, and could increase the burden of traffic and air pollution with plans for more diesel truck traffic on 9W. The project application states that the applicant will perform “minor filling of a small portion of the federal wetland” and “create new stormwater infrastructure” (with plans not visible to the public) to manage “new site runoff.” Read the letter from Town of Ulster Citizens.org submitted to the planning board about these concerns last week.
Because the Town of Ulster Town Board will have final approval for the project site plan, they will likely lead the environmental review and declare the project an “Unlisted Action” in the State Environmental Review process (SEQRA). Although Unlisted Actions require the preparation of a “Short Environmental Assessment Form” or SEAF (which is in front of our town planning and town board currently) the town can require a full Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) if it wants more information.
With stormwater and other environmental concerns in our neighborhood that were not addressed during the Central Hudson “gas village” project SEQR process, and with the proposed adjacent Bread Alone expansion, an independent cumulative impact study should be mandatory. It is now, through the SEQR process, that the public can make that request. Furthermore, with a new Cumulative Impacts Bill being passed by Governor Hochul in December, 2024, any potential impacts for this project should be part of the discussion now.
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Town of Ulster Town Board on 4/9 that community members living in Lake Katrine and Glenerie Lake Park are tired of the status quo. As both a “Potential Environmental Justice area” and “Disadvantaged Community”, demand that every protection available be applied to our area. Urge those leading the environmental review process of the Bread Alone expansion to request additional information (with a full Environmental Assessment Form/EAF or Draft Environmental Impact Statement/EIS), and demand that an independent review of cumulative impacts be evaluated prior to a public hearing being scheduled.
If you can not attend, you can also submit a comment in writing to: Town of Ulster Clerk Suzanne Reavy: sreavy@townofulster.ny.gov You may also request a Zoom link at that address so that you can comment virtually that night or just watch the Facebook Live broadcast.
UPDATE: FOR MORE INFO ON THE CENTRAL HUDSON OIL SPILL, CLICK HERE