Lawmakers Look at Regional Issues with Local Impact

Rockland County lawmakers joined forces with their counterparts from nearby counties today to focus on environmental issues that are regional in scope but have many impacts locally.

County Legislator Connie Coker of South Nyack, chairwoman of the Rockland Legislature's Environmental Committee, gathered the group from the lower Hudson Valley region and plans to keep the group going to help tackle environmental issues.

"My purpose in asking to meet with legislators from each county in the lower Hudson Valley is to share ideas around the most effective ways to continue to enhance the quality of our water, air, and soil," said Coker.  "Therefore, we will each have an opportunity to report on our county's actions relative to protecting the environment and decreasing energy usage.  We are all limited by budget restraints and by meeting together we may develop ways to share information and resources."

The regional group kicked off in New City at the County Legislature with particpation by Westchester County Legislator Peter Harckham, Ulster County Legislator Kevin Roberts and Barbara Fratianni from the state Department of Conservation Estuary Program.  Harckham and Roberts chair their county's committees on environment and conservation. 

Also joining the group were Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell and county Legislator Alden H. Wolfe. 

Water and air quality, energy, flooding, the Indian Point nuclear power plan and regional planning issues, such as the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 project were among the topics discussed today. 

Coker said management of water that runs into the Hudson River, which all four counties border, was also a topic of the discussion.

 "As we all share the Hudson River, it seems valuable to have a discussion on how best to protect the quality of the water that flows through our counties to the Hudson," Coker said. "By listening to and considering the priorities of each county represented we may begin to develop a regional perspective around environmental issues."

Coker said she believes the regional group could eventually help Rockland and its neigbhors win support in Albany for environmental improvement projects.

Future sessions are expected to include representatives from Orange and Putnam Counties as well, Coker said. While today's session did not include members of the public, Coker said future meetings of the group - which will alternate meetings in the member counties - will include members of the public and representatives of groups interested in the environment. The next meeting is slated for Ulster County in September.