Coast Guard Temporarily Pauses Hudson River Barge Anchorage Plans

PEEKSKILL, NY — The United States Coast Guard announced a temporary pause on barges anchoring on the Hudson River.

Rep. Pat Ryan, D-Gardiner, announced Monday that the Coast Guard, in response to widespread community outrage, issued a new Marine Safety Information Bulletin that paused temporarily their plan to allow dangerous barges to line the Hudson River.

Ryan said this initial victory was won because the community stood up and fought together.

“But unfortunately, we know this success is temporary,” he said. “Now is the time for all of us to double down on our commitment to stop big corporations from turning our Hudson River into a parking lot for dangerous barges.”

The Coast Guard had redefined the Port of New York to possibly allow barges carrying dangerous materials such as oil to anchor in the river north of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

This was after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in 2020, and the Senate passed it in 2021, to permanently ban the establishment of new oil barge anchorages on the lower Hudson River.

State Senator Pete Harckham, D-South Salem, said the Hudson River’s economic and environmental value to this region — its residents and business owners — cannot be put at risk.

“It’s because of our collective advocacy that the U.S. Coast Guard has decided not to use our treasured Hudson River as a parking lot for large vessels,” he said. “Let’s hope this ridiculous idea is squashed for good this time.”

Unfortunately, Ryan said, that, while the Coast Guard paused its plan, they doubled down on allowing unlimited anchoring in the future.

In its MSIB, the Coast Guard acknowledged the value of the Hudson River and said it was committed to making sure the river continued to be a safe, secure and environmentally protected waterway for all users.

“The Coast Guard is aware of the public’s concerns regarding anchoring on the Hudson River and intends to issue a Notice of Inquiry in the Federal Register and undertake extensive public outreach opportunities to explore potential regulatory updates and limited access areas on the Hudson River,” it wrote.