Columbia Waterfront: Important Port Authority Meeting Tonight

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I received the email below from fellow blogger Adam over on the Columbia Street waterfront. There is an important Port Authority meeting tonight that we should all know about. Read his email below.

There is another important issue regarding port pollution about which I have been attempting to raise awareness on my blog - aviewfromthehook.blogspot.com

I think it ties into the shared issues of livability and pollution in our neighborhoods.

Regarding this matter, there is an important meeting today at the Port Authority (last minute notice from them!) which will affect our neighborhood for at least the next 20 years. I have sent an email to alert people to this situation - perhaps you could link to it via my blog, where I have it posted.

Thanks for your work on these important matters,

From: aviewfromthehook.blogspot.com
A decision is being made at the Port Authority tomorrow in regard to the future of the Atlantic Basin and Pier 11 on the Red Hook Waterfront.

What is being proposed and decided upon tomorrow is essentially the expansion of the operations of the Red Hook Container Terminal, a stated goal of representatives of the NYC Economic Development Corporation.

This expansion is being proposed without any environmental impact study, nor promise to implement any pollution mitigating practices at the port. For example, "Cold Ironing", the hooking up of container ships to shore power when in port, allowing them to turn off their carcinogenic fume emitting engines.

This practice of Cold Ironing has been promised at the Cruise Ship terminal, with investments already committed by Carnival, who operate the cruise ships, and the Port authority, who control the land and terminal itself.

The only obstacle is getting a power rate which makes this practice viable for the ships. On this matter, a case was put to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to decide on whether they should mandate a tariff (rate of supplying power) to Con Edison, to make this happen. The PSC decided that this case was not able to be resolved by them, as the Port authority got its power from the New York Power Authority, and the decision on rates should be theirs.

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The matter of the Atlantic Basin and Pier 11 will be decided at the offices of the Port Authority, 15th Floor, 225 Park Ave South, NY.

There is a committee meeting with (it seems) the opportunity for public comment at 10:30am, and a board meeting, again with the possibility for public comment at 1:30pm. They are listed listed as "Update on New York Marine Terminals".



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