Sunday, April 29, 2007

NYRI ‘welcomes’ DoE proposed designation; lawmakers vow a continued fight

Washington - The US Department of Energy has approved a draft proposal to create a Mid-Atlantic Area National Corridor, which would, among other things, let New York Regional Interconnect, take property by eminent domain to build their power line from Oneida County to Orange County.

In a prepared statement Thursday, the company said the proposed designations “are part of a clearly emerging consensus that the reliability of America’s and New York State’s electrical power transmission infrastructure must be addressed in a timely way.”

But, Congressman Maurice Hinchey of Hurley, who vehemently opposes the power line, vowed to continue to fight it.

“We cannot allow this stuff to happen. We’re going to be fighting back against it very vigorously,” he said. Hinchey said he has already prepared legislation to remove those provisions of the current law.

Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Christopher Cunningham, chairman of the eight-county opposition group, said they will fight it all the way to court, if necessary. “We are prepared to fight this at the federal level and we will get the resources, I am confident, to do that if we have to.”

Forty-eight of New York’s counties would be included in the National Corridor designation if it gains final approvals.

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