Ryan, Molinaro Intro Bill Keeping Barges From Anchoring On Hudson

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With the Coast Guard making no promises to not allow dangerous barges to drop anchor on the Hudson River north of the Cuomo Bridge, Reps. Pat Ryan and Marc Molinaro have introduced the Hudson River Protection Act.

The legislation would amend the 2020 Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act to remove any uncertainty related to geographic definitions and ban additional anchorages.

Ryan, a Democrat, said the barges threaten the health and safety of children, the more than 100,000 people who rely on the river for their drinking water and the entire ecosystem.

“We owe it to our kids, our seniors and future generations to fight with everything we’ve got,” he said. “This legislation will stop big corporations from turning our Hudson River into a parking lot.”

Molinaro, a Republican, said the bipartisan bill is a line in the sand.

“We will not sit on the sidelines and watch corporate interests jeopardize the Hudson River, its drinking water and ecosystem,” he said. “Some issues, like protecting the Hudson River, are bigger than politics and demand a unified, bipartisan front.”

On Monday, the Coast Guard issued a new Marine Safety Information Bulletin that temporarily paused its plan to allow barges to line the Hudson River.

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

In the new bulletin, however, the Coast Guard doubled down on allowing unlimited anchoring in the future.