MINUTES

COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

OCTOBER 22, 1996

PRESENT: Chair Carsky, Legs: LaMotte, Delfino

and Latimer

ALSO PRESENT: Mr. Wekstein, Mr. Vogt, Mr. Place,

Ms. Charning, Ms. Keeler, Mr. Gordon,

Mr. Yoegel, Ms. Morgan, Ms. LeLash,

Mr. Gretsas, Mr. Hosey and Leg. Wishnie

ITEMS DISCUSSED:

Chair Carsky called the meeting to order. Mr. Vogt stated that the filtration policy in this agreement many not be a valid policy. The East side of the Hudson will build a filtration plant and he feels that it should be built in Westchester County.

Mr. Place stated that there was limited participation and secret meetings to come up with this agreement and it is the first time it was presented to the public. An environmental review has never taken place. Putnam County did an extensive report. There was to be more than 2,000 housing units built near the West Branch Reservoir, but they will no longer be able to build them.

Mr. Vogt brought up the fact that there is a suppose to be a sewer diversion study. What is it and who will benefit from it?

Leg. LaMotte stated that the Westchester County Planning Board, of which she was a member, worked diligently on Patterns and it goes into detail on the Water Supply. Mr. Vogt agreed and stated that his organization came out in support of Patterns, but that does not address everything.

Leg. LaMotte continued by stating that many northern communities, of which she represents, have already signed on to this agreement.

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Mr. Vogt stated that by adopting these regulations we will no longer have any rights on the decision making process. New York City will be able to make all the decisions.

Mr. Wekstein stated that most of this was accomplished behind closed doors with a select few. All do want clear water, but at what cost?

Leg. LaMotte stated that Putnam County is a very different area than this.

Mr. Place stated that there was not a decent SEQR and New York City should offer mitigation for these areas who will loose development and future taxes.

Mr. Vogt stated that Westchester County will retain the right but New York City can still veto.

Mr. Gordon stated that the Croton Reservoir has significant phosphorous and we need rules and regulations now. Westchester and Putnam Counties argued and won certain exemptions necessary to continue.

Without this agreement nothing will happen. Mr. Gordon went on to say that this agreement is not perfect but represents progress and we must move forward. This involved 2,000 square miles of watershed.

Mr. Gordon stated that our foremost obligation is no more direct sewage into basins. The State DEC and Federal EPA are required to step into that basin even if the sewage treatment plant are meeting their permits, and access how much the pollution has to be rationed back in those basins and do it.

Eight of the eleven sewage treatment plants are presently overloaded with phosphorous. You don’t get this agreement, you don’t get the clean-up.

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Mr. Place stated that Mr. Gordon is very familiar with the agreement since his group was allowed input, where ours was not. Chair Carsky asked if he petitioned to be included and kept from it ad Mr. Place said they tired to participate a couple of time and were politely told for this meeting to go through it should be kept within he Governmental Body.

In answer to your question regarding whether New York City would control the land use for the region rather than Westchester County, you would still have impacts on losing jobs and housing and opportunities. Where are you going to make that up? You can’t just have a net lose of those opportunities.

They do not see how the offset programs are feasible to what will be lost by this. We all agree the need for the protection of the water supply, but where are you going to make up the lost opportunities.

Mr. Wekstein stated that there are a couple of other minor things he disagrees with Mr. Gordon on, especially putting in a new sewage plant when the phosphorus is cleaned up.

Mr. Gordon and Mr. Vogt disagree on several issues regarding this agreement.

Mr. Wishnie stated that our whole economy cannot afford to build a filtration plant. We must all work together. This is the best possible deal we could get know. It is a starting point and we should work together. We do not have a choice now. You want us to stop, we can’t stop. Our communities that we represent are all signing on to this. The County Administration signed off on it and we are going to have to sign off on it too.

I appreciate where you are coming from, but I also appreciate it when someone comes to the table and knows what they are talking about.

Leg. Latimer asks what will happen if we don’t do this - what exactly would happen and what would the impacts be?

Mr. Gordon stated that on December 16 that we will be looking at a secession order from EPA. At that point, in all likelihood, this entire deal will

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fall apart. At that point you will be dealing with the situation that every single dollar in this deal will dry up. New York City will almost certainly f

fight the filtration order with any means that they can. We will have no protection and no money.

Leg. Latimer asks the Alliance the same question and he goes around the question. We just want them to do more to compensate for lost opportunities and that’s all they are asking for before the final sign off.

Leg. Latimer asks Mr. Place to be more specific over the course of the next couple of years.

Mr. Place could not. Mr. Gordon stated that if we do nothing we will not get any of the $38 million and the rest of our communities will not either.

Leg. LaMotte states that she feels comfortable going ahead because her towns are for it.

Chair Carsky thanks everyone for coming and the committee reworks a paragraph at Legislator Latimer’s request and signs the legislation out for the next Board agenda.

TAPE ON FILE