Mid Hudson Times Oct. 12 2016 | Page 4

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After successfully pressing the Coast Guard to extend the public comment period for proposed Hudson River anchorage sites , Representative Sean Patrick Maloney announced new federal legislation that would halt the current , and any future United States Coast Guard proposal to expand mooring infrastructure on the Hudson River between Kingston and Yonkers . Maloney ’ s Hudson River Protection Act , would prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security , and by extension the United States Coast Guard , from establishing new anchorage sites for vessels carrying hazardous or flammable material within five miles of an existing superfund site , a nuclear power plant , a site on the national register of historic places , or a critical habitat of an endangered species . While there are a wide range of sites in the Hudson Valley on the national register of historic places and critical habitats of endangered species , the superfund requirement alone covers the entire section of the Hudson River that the Coast Guard proposal is looking at for potential anchorages .

“ The Coast Guard ’ s proposal to install new anchorage sites is a bad idea and I will do whatever I can to stop it , including passing legislation on this issue ,” said Maloney . “ We don ’ t need more anchorage sites , we don ’ t want them – it is too dangerous and too harmful to our Hudson River , which is still recovering from PCB contamination – the last thing we need are dangerous oil tankers parking on our shores .”

“ I commend Congressman Maloney for the Hudson River Protection Act . The plan to locate numerous anchorages in the Mid-Hudson Valley will not just be an aesthetic blight , but it has the dangerous potential to pollute the river we have been fighting so hard to keep clean for the public to enjoy and for nature to thrive ,” said Assemblyman Frank Skartados .

“ I want to thank Congressman Maloney for looking out for our communities by introducing this bill to keep unnecessary barges out of the Hudson River . This legislation will ensure our access to the river is maintained , our property values aren ’ t adversely affected , and our region remains safe from needless

Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , October 12 , 2016

Maloney announces bill to stop proposed Anchorages on the river

spills ,” said Assemblyman James Skoufis .

Phil Oliva , Maloney ’ s opponent in the upcoming Congressional election , called the announcement nothing more than political theatre .

“ The federal anchorage proposal was first made public on June 9 but we didn ’ t hear from our federal representative , Sean Patrick Maloney until 70 days later , long after we heard from many other local officials ,” Oliva said . “ We missed the June 30 deadline to request a public hearing . Where was he ?”

The Coast Guard has announced advanced notice of a proposed rulemaking which , if conducted , could result in the construction of ten new anchorage sites along the Hudson River for large commercial ships travelling from up-river to the port of New York . The anchorage sites would provide these ships a location to drop anchor before continuing on to the port . Maloney has called for a comprehensive environmental impact study and additional hearings before the proposal can advance , and sent his own letter to the Coast Guard on August 18 .

In August , Representative Maloney , along with Senators Schumer and Gillibrand , and fellow Representatives Lowey and Engel , sent a letter to the Coast Guard requesting a 90-day extension to provide the public time to learn about the proposal and to offer comments . Following this letter , the Coast Guard announced it was extending the public comment period to December 6th . In September , Maloney questioned Coast Guard officials and secured a commitment to an open and transparent process , including public hearings .

On September 15 , Maloney asked Hudson Valley residents to contact his office directly to provide comments in regards to the proposal to install ten new anchorage sites on the Hudson River from Yonkers to Kingston . Rep . Maloney ’ s office will collect all comments and deliver them to the Coast Guard prior to the end of the extended comment period on December 7 . Residents can express their opinion by visiting : / seanmaloney . house . gov / contact / email-me or by filing electronically with the Coast Guard by visiting : . regulations . gov / comment ? D = USCG-2016-0132-0001 .

Maloney pushes for Federal Research into health impact of Contamination in Newburgh drinking water

Weeks after announcing the launch of a biomonitoring program to test Newburgh residents for the contaminant perfluorooctanesulfonic acid ( PFOS ), which was found in the Newburgh water supply , Representative Sean Patrick Maloney announced the introduction of two bills to improve and expand testing and research for possible contamination of water supplies . The Investing in Testing Act authorizes $ 15 million for a two year study by the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) to determine the health impact of PFOS contamination in drinking water , and The Clean Water Healthy Communities Act would require the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) to test unregulated contaminants in communities with fewer than 10,000 people . The current EPA requirement for testing only applies to communities with more than 10,000 residents .

“ It doesn ’ t matter if you live in a big city or a small town – everyone deserves safe drinking water and the right to know what health effects they could experience if their water is contaminated ,” said Maloney . “ The biomonitoring program in Newburgh is an important first step in determining the extent of contamination , but once we have that data , we need to understand the long-term health effects of that contamination – and how to respond .”

“ As the city of Newburgh goes , so goes the nation in terms of PFOS science , and the support of Congressman Maloney will go a long way to further align the resources of the federal , local , and state governments ,” said Newburgh City Manager Michael Ciaravino . “ We view this as an important first step and we can ’ t thank the Congressman enough .”

In Brief

Town declares Halloween curfew

The Town of Newburgh has declared a Halloween curfew on door to door “ Trick or Treating ” and other outdoors Halloween related activities .

The curfew will run from 9 p . m . to 6 a . m ., starting Saturday , Oct . 29 , through Monday , Oct . 31 .

“‘ I am requesting that parents inform their children and supervise the implementation of the townwide Curfew so that we may avoid problems and for the safety , health and welfare of our Town ’ s young people and property owners ,” said Town Supervisor Gil Piaquadio .

Mount receives $ 60,000 grant from for nursing equipment

Mount Saint Mary College recently received a $ 60,000 grant from the George I . Alden Trust to equip nursing labs with state-of-the-art simulation learning equipment .

The grant will be primarily used to purchase the task trainers and updates for simulation equipment for the graduate nursing program , preparing nurse practitioners for primary care practice . An additional simulation learning area and new debriefing room are included in the updates for the simulation program .

“ This equipment will be valuable in educating our undergraduate and graduate nursing students to provide skilled , compassionate care ,” noted Andrea Ackerman , longtime Mount professor and Director of Simulation at the college .

Mount talk to discuss impacts of water and environmental contamination

Michael Edelstein , professor of environmental psychology at Ramapo College of New Jersey , will present “ Psycho-Social Impacts of Water and Other Environmental Contamination ” at Mount Saint Mary College on Monday , October 24 at noon .

The talk , part of the Mount ’ s Investigating Research on Campus ( iROC ) series , will take place in the Dominican Center at the Mount , 330 Powell Ave ., Newburgh . It is free and open to the public .

Edelstein will discuss his findings of how communities are affected by the chemical PFOA , which was found in the primary drinking water source for the City of Newburgh several months ago . He will review the types of stresses people are routinely placed under when such news hits communities and some of the ways that people cope .

His research , including Love Canal and other contemporary cases , delves into the psychosocial consequences arising from community contamination events . Edelstein has developed a body of theory useful for describing the pressures placed on affected people and communities , and on the officials and others who respond to them .