Letter to the Editor: No Commercial Anchorages on the Hudson Near Peekskill

My name is Courtney Williams. I live in Peekskill and have spent the past 2 years fighting Spectra Energy's dangerous plan to build a new pipeline under the Hudson, adjacent to Indian Point.

Now the Coast Guard is proposing anchoring oil barges on the Hudson. One of the proposed anchorage sites, Tompkins Cove, abuts the "Pipeline Area" as it's denoted on the map. In that area will be THREE massive, high-pressure, gas pipelines. Two of them run directly under Indian Point. A third will run adjacent to the plant.

In May of 2015 Spectra Energy had a pipeline rupture underneath the Arkansas River that did significant damage to a nearby tugboat. Spectra was unaware that their pipeline had ruptured until they were contacted by the Coast Guard who had been contacted by the tugboat captain.

Parking massive commercial oil tankers adjacent to the pipeline is foolish. Given Spectra's poor safety record, a rupture could damage a vessel parked within hundreds of feet of the pipeline. Additionally, a miscalculation in when/where/how to drop anchor could damage the pipeline below resulting in a rupture that could then damage the vessel. That type of situation risks a pipeline rupture, damage to Indian Point, and an oil spill.

Indian Point also draws in water from the Hudson for cooling the plant. What would happen if that water was contaminated by a massive oil spill upstream, adjacent, or immediately downstream in the 'river that flows both ways'? Would the plant need to enter emergency shut down? Could they cool the reactors with oil contaminated water?

20 million people live in the 50 mile radius around Indian Point that would be impacted by a melt-down there.

Parking a massive oil barge on top of a gas pipeline next to a nuclear power plant is complete idiocy.

While the anchorage area between Stony Point and Verplanck is of particular alarm (given the pipeline and nuclear power plant), none of these anchorages should be permitted.

Thousands rely on the Hudson for drinking water. Endangered species would be harmed in the event of a spill. Fossil fuels themselves are harmful to our environment and contribute to global climate change.

Do not endanger the Hudson River and its people to transport fossil fuels that will harm everyone.

Courtney Williams

Peekskill Resident and Vice President of Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG.org)

Link to submit public comment (click Comment in the upper right corner):

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCG-2016-0132-0001