Tell Congress: Support the Hudson River Protection Act

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Riverkeeper is proud to support the Hudson River Protection Act (H.R. 1504) sponsored by Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney and Eliot Engel, which would limit the areas that may be designated as anchorage grounds for vessels carrying hazardous or flammable cargo.

Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay standing side by side with Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney and Eliot Engel.

The maritime industry’s proposal to establish 43 births at 10 locations for barges and tankers, potentially laden with crude oil, poses a significant risk to the Hudson River. The proposal threatens to re-industrialize the Hudson River, damage habitat for endangered sturgeon, and increase the potential for disastrous spills of oil.

The Hudson River Protection Act, introduced into the House of Representatives, “amends the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1915 to prohibit the establishment of areas located within five miles of a nuclear power plant, a location on the national register of historic places, a superfund site, or critical habitat of an endangered species as anchorage grounds in U.S. navigable waters for vessels carrying hazardous or flammable material as cargo.”

In effect, this bill would prohibit the creation of new anchorage sites to store crude oil on the river outside of existing locations in Yonkers and Hyde Park. We need all of New York and New Jersey’s congressional delegation behind this bill. We encourage our members and supporters to call, write and meet with your members of congress and ask them to co-sponsor the Hudson River Protection Act (H.R. 1504). You can find your federal representatives by typing in your address below.

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The Coast Guard is reviewing over 10,000 comments received in response to its “advance notice of proposed rulemaking.” Previously, the Coast Guard promised that if the proposal is to move forward, a public hearing would be held in the Spring. We have received no indication from the Coast Guard on whether the proposal will move forward or not. No hearings or next steps have been announced.

With Mayor Mike Spano of the City of Yonkers and Scenic Hudson Riverkeeper has worked to expand the Hudson River Waterfront Alliance, an alliance of municipal and county governments founded in Westchester concerned about the anchorage proposal to new communities upriver. In February, the Cities of Beacon and Kingston hosted two roundtables for elected officials across the Mid-Hudson Valley to encourage them to bring their communities into the growing alliance. Through working together, communities across the Hudson Valley stand a stronger chance of pushing back against the proposal and having their voices heard by New York’s federal representatives and the Coast Guard.

Want to take further action? Visit our take action page to prevent new anchorage sites for barges and tankers.