WASHINGTON, DC – Following repeated attempts by the Coast Guard to turn the Hudson River into a parking lot for dangerous barges, Congressmen Pat Ryan and Marc Molinaro introduced the Hudson River Protection Act. This legislation would amend the 2020 Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act, removing any uncertainty related to geographic definitions (such as the Port of New York) and banning additional anchorages once and for all. Constituents who wish to join the fight can share their opinion with the Coast Guard here.
“We owe it to our kids, our seniors, and future generations to fight with everything we’ve got. This legislation will stop big corporations from turning our Hudson River into a parking lot for dangerous barges once and for all,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “These dangerous barges threaten the health and safety of our kids, the more than 100,000 people who rely on the river for their drinking water, and our entire ecosystem. We must continue to stand up with one voice to fight for our River.
“Our 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,” said Congressman Marc Molinaro. “Some issues, like protecting the Hudson River, are bigger than politics and demand a unified, bipartisan front. I’m proud to once again be fighting alongside my friend Pat Ryan.”
On August 4th, Congressman Ryan wrote a letter to Captain Zeita Merchant, the Sector New York Commander for the Coast Guard, requesting clarification on an administrative change that would allow barges to anchor virtually anywhere north of the Governor M. Cuomo Bridge.
After a more than two month delay, Michael Emerson, the Director of Marine Transportation Systems, provided a woefully insufficient response that left the door open for dangerous oil barges to line the Hudson.
On October 25th, Ryan was joined by Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson and the Hudson 7 in demanding the Coast Guard uphold the anchoring ban. On November 1st, Ryan gave a speech on the House Floor, calling on Hudson Valley families to join the fight and sharing a form for those interested to register their opinion. The new MSIB, issued on November 9th in response to overwhelming community outrage, temporarily paused the Coast Guard’s plan to allow dangerous barges to line the Hudson River but doubles down on their plan to allow unlimited anchoring in the future.
The legislation introduced alongside Congressman Molinaro would amend the 2020 Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act, effectively banning additional anchorages on the Hudson once and for all.
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