Whose Fault is it Anyways?

CHPE, TDI, Rockland, New York State,  Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? 

On Thursday, October 2nd, a water main line burst on the intersection of North Liberty on 9W and East Main Street in Stony Point. Andrew Ramirez, a contractor who works in construction and remodeling, was first to report the news of the burst at approximately 3:10 p.m.. An hour later and, Ramirez and his team were called in by the town to fix the water main line with his crew. 

Ramirez said that through the mitigation process, there were around $250,000 worth of damages. Three home owners and one infant were displaced due to the burst water line causing sewage to enter homes. Ramirez stated that he spoke with Jennifer Laird-White, Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Transmission Developers Inc. (TDI), the company who proposed the CHPE project in 2017, regarding the burst. Allegedly, Laird-White told Ramirez there was “no construction on the street,” and that, therefore, CHPE would not pay for the mitigation done on the intersection. 

Ramirez decided to use his own equipment to map the street, which is shown below. The trenching is indicated by the yellow lines, the red area represents the area digging, and blue is the  waterline. “The work being done underground, the hundreds of heavy trucks, the digging, all combined is how you burst a water main,” said Ramirez.

CHPE responded to this claim, agreeing that the burst was not in relation to CHPE’s construction. CHPE has encouraged all questions to be directed to Veolia. 

Veolia declined to comment.

In response to the frustration voiced by many residents throughout Stony Point, Congressman Lawler, bipartisan elected officials, and small business owners held a press conference at the intersection where the water main burst on Monday, October 6th at 10:00 a.m. No CHPE representatives were invited.

Supervisor Monaghan began the conference, saying,“This project has affected all of North Rockland. The most devastating impact that we’ve witnessed is here in Stony Point. We have construction going on six days a week. It’s been daytime, nighttime. Residents can’t sleep. Businesses are suffering major losses.

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Congressman Lawler blamed the state, saying “The state failed in its obligation here. The state failed in its responsibility to adequately plan and to execute on this project…We called this press conference for a simple reason. What is happening on Route 9W is unacceptable. It’s dangerous, and it’s a direct result of Albany’s failure to plan and to lead.”

In 2018, when CHPE was first approved, West Haverstraw Mayor Robert D’Amelio said, “We are thankful Transmission Developers Incorporated (TDI) acknowledges construction will temporarily impact our busy business corridor and is compensating us for that inconvenience. We will work hard to ensure construction goes smoothly.”

In that same year, the towns of Stony Point, Haverstraw, and Clarkstown, along with the villages of West Haverstraw and Haverstraw, approved this very route for the CHPE project. This was done by every supervisor signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TDI, the project’s builder.

When asked why then the town agreed to sign with CHPE, Supervisor Monaghan simply said, “We had no choice.”

Laird-White, SVP of External Affairs for TDI, spoke on the MOU and the confusion surrounding the agreement. “It was understood years in advance that construction would be temporarily disruptive to the businesses and residents in Rockland County, which is why in 2018 CHPE and local leaders negotiated a $31 million community benefit plan that includes $9 million in streetscape improvements for Stony Point in the business district along the 9W corridor. CHPE has also provided over $500,000 in funding to not for profits and small businesses in Rockland County, including Stony Point, will pay almost $300 million in taxes to those same communities once the project is operational, and has already committed $150,000 for a North Rockland Chamber of Commerce small business fund.” As a majority of these plans were originally agreed upon in 2018, it is unclear what role COVID inflation had on these economic agreements.

During original CHPE discussions, Stony Point’s Deputy Supervisor Tom Basile was the sole “nay” vote at Stony Point’s Board meeting on January 22, 2018. Basile shared his reasoning in the meeting, stating, “There’s a lack of transparency on the part of CHPE representatives and still unanswered questions about the final approved route, as well as the anticipated annual income generated for its investors.  I believe a much better deal for our towns, including an ongoing community benefit package, should be the goal. I fear this agreement; our municipalities now have little leverage to continue negotiations with CHPE to increase the aid package or even oppose any future changes to the route of the power line.”

Even with his frustration surrounding what he sees as a lack of state support, Lawler did note the importance of the CHPE project, stating, “Projects like CHPE are essential, but they must be built responsibly with local impact at the forefront. I respect the union laborers on site; they deserve safe conditions and fair treatment, but they also deserve better planning from Albany. We must stop round-the-clock construction — it’s just common sense.”

Chrissy Man, resident on the CHPE construction route, has endured the round the clock construction. She said, “It’s been absolutely terrible… The vehicles are screeching at all times. At night, in the morning, you can’t sleep… Something needs to be done. We need help. A lot of these people don’t live on 9W or in the town. They live at the outskirts. They have no idea what’s going on.”

North Rockland Chamber of Commerce President Stephanie Melowsky said the project has devastated the business corridor. “About 100 businesses have been completely disrupted since construction closed this bridge. We’ve seen over $10 million in lost revenue between 2024 and 2025. The $150,000 small business fund doesn’t even begin to cover the damage — it’s not relief, it’s an insult.”

County Executive Day said, “You have this finger pointing back and forth with each other, saying, not our job, not our problems, but meanwhile, these are all of our problems.” This is exactly what the confusion with CHPE seems to be: a lack of accountability, transparency, and conversation between corporate, state, and local parties.