Environmental Defense Supports Cronton Filtration Plant

(23 July 2003 — New York)  Environmental Defense applauded Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg today for coming to an agreement that allows filtration of New York City’s Croton water supply to move forward.  Under the agreement, Governor Pataki signed a bill that allows construction of the Croton Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park, subject to environmental safeguards, thorough consideration of alternative sites and strong protections for public parkland in the Bronx.

“To ensure clean drinking water for all New Yorkers, a filtration plant for the Croton system must be constructed swiftly,” said Environmental Defense General Counsel James T. B. Tripp.  “The challenge is to find a site that meets the City’s engineering and cost constraints and satisfies community and environmental concerns.  The agreement reached by the Governor and the Mayor will allow for fair consideration of alternative sites.”

The agreement includes a commitment of $243 million for improving public parks in the Bronx.  It also guarantees that, if the plant is to be constructed in Van Cortlandt Park, it will be built completely underground and the park returned to its original condition and use.  Alternative sites to be given full environmental analysis include sites on the Bronx side of the Harlem River and in Westchester County, outside city boundaries.

“This agreement outlines how a filtration plant can be built in a way that is good for New York City’s drinking water, good for the city’s parks and fully consistent with strong environmental review,” said Tripp.  “Environmental Defense is committed to working with the City, the State and community groups to make sure that the commitments are fully implemented.”

Last night, Governor Pataki signed the Croton filtration plant park alienation bill after receiving a letter from NYC Mayor Bloomberg.  That letter made it clear that the City would undertake a full comparative environmental analysis of the Van Cortlandt park site with two other sites that NYC has been considering.  The letter also indicated that the City would make sure that the $243 million in mitigation funds that DEP would make available for Bronx park sites would be well spent and that the City would confer with the Governor about these projects.  The Assembly and Senate passed the bill at the end of this year’s session after the City Council adopted a home rule message urging this action.