Suffern Passes Resolution Opposing Danskammer Fracked Gas Plant 

On Monday night the Suffern Board of Trustees passed a resolution in opposition of the expansion of the Danskammer fracked-gas power plant in Newburgh. By taking this action, Suffern became the 17th municipality to oppose the project, and the first municipality in Rockland County.

In response to the vote, Food & Water Action organizer Emily Skydel released the following statement: “It is great news that Suffern is joining the communities up and down the Hudson River Valley that are standing up to say no this dirty, polluting power plant. In the midst of a deadly pandemic that is especially dangerous to populations exposed to air pollution, it would be irresponsible to allow this project to go forward. The Danskammer expansion is nothing but a scam. It would undermine the goals of New York’s new climate law, and force local communities already suffering high levels of air pollution to live with even more of these deadly impacts. In the end, Governor Cuomo has the authority to stop this plant, and the powerful grassroots movement we are building will make sure that he does.”

Danskammer opponents have cited the plant’s impact on local air pollution, as well as huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which would undermine a new state climate law that requires dramatic emissions cuts.

“”If the plans for this newly converted natural gas peaker plant proceed, it will directly contravene the goals laid out in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act passed just last year by the Governor. The plant is unnecessary as we do not need to rely on it for grid power and it will certainly do long-term damage to the air quality in the Hudson Valley region of New York. I applaud the decision made by the Village of Suffern and its Climate Smart Community team to pass a resolution opposing Danskammer, taking the bold and necessary action steps in combating further environmental degradation in Rockland County and the Hudson Valley at large,” Ian Adler, former Suffern resident, said.

“I applaud Suffern and their decision to oppose the Danskammer power plant. The momentum against this project is now spreading into Rockland County, and this is the kind of strength we need to fight the fossil fuel industry. The list of municipalities that oppose this project continues to grow. Governor Cuomo needs to take note of what his constituents want and stop Danskammer dead in its tracks,” Eric Wood, Hudson Valley regional coordinator for NYPIRG, added.