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General News: Federal Funds for KJ Pipeline Unlikely

The village wants to protect its water resources in the wells in Mountainville.

November 18, 2009

A $5 million federal grant for the proposed water pipeline from the village of Kiryas Joel to the Catskill aqueduct is dead -- that’s the word from Cornwall-on-Hudson mayor Joseph Gross following his meeting with Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) in Cornwall on Friday.

For nearly a decade, the village of Kiryas Joel has been trying to build a 13-mile pipeline that would connect the village to the Catskill aqueduct. Two routes for the pipeline have been proposed, one of them passing through Cornwall along Route 32. That route would also pass the water wells that make up a portion of Cornwall-on-Hudson’s water supply.

In 2007, Congress authorized $5 million for the construction of the pipeline, which has an estimated price tag of $29 million. Congress never appropriated that money and Cornwall-on-Hudson mayor Joseph Gross, who also oversees the village water department, has contacted county, state and federal officials several times with his concern about the impact of the pipeline on the village’s water resources.

According to Senator Schumer’s office, he has always been on the sidelines of the pipeline project. “We have no history on this project,” Max Young, the senator’s press secretary in Washington, D.C. told News from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson. “The Senator is guided by community consensus when it comes to seeking funding for these types of projects, and there is no community consensus here.”

Calls to Gedalye Szegedin, the clerk of the village of Kiryas Joel, seeking a response were not returned.

The village of Cornwall-on-Hudson water department, meanwhile, completed a round of tests last week to determine the capacity of its water wells in Mountainville. Mayor Gross says that after studying the results, the village may request state approval for an increase in the output from the wells.

Comments:

So I guess we're all gonna forget about this for another 5-10 years while KJ brews a new plan. It will be a fine day when we can say that we own all the wells and have control of our own water. I'm not holding my breath though.

posted by J Klein on 11/18/09 at 11:41 AM

This is good news for the residents who use the Orange County Sewer District and worry about our environment and the cost of maintaining and upgrading that facility.

We now need to focus on the Water Master Plan. This plan if approved by our county legislators will require the community:
? In need of additional water to be identified as a ?smart growth area?, as defined in the O.C. Comprehensive Plan.
? To show a need for water to support its growth.
? Request that the Orange County Water Authority (OCWA) install this link to support the delivery of this additional water.

The OCWA can then uses its MTA powers to install a link. In the case of Kiryas Joel, this means it can begin the process of linking the 4 wells in the Cornwall aquifer to the community of Kiryas Joel and once installed could pump as much as 1.2 million gallons per day (each well is rated at 300,000 gpd).

The OCWA can then levy fees, or tax all the residents of Orange County to pay for the installation and maintenance of these links.

Hopefully, our newly elected County legislators will not let this happen.

posted by Robert Fromaget on 11/18/09 at 2:38 PM

It has started already...
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091124/NEWS/911240328

There go the wells.

posted by J Klein on 11/24/09 at 5:26 AM

I don't understand how a community that we can not live in or freely use their services can consume so much money from the tax payers of NY.

posted by j b on 11/24/09 at 7:57 AM

@ Mr. Buescher
KJ is a special interest group like any other. They are a voting block with heavy lobbying abilities and expert lawyers in residence. Votes=power(favors), look at what is happening in Bethel. Everything perfectly "legal". Everything in plain sight. If only our community could be so organized. We might have had a chance to keep our own wells.

posted by J Klein on 11/24/09 at 11:12 AM

KJ is a religious community made up of one religion its not a community that one without their faith can partake of. Why do you think they created their own village? Maybe to keep outsiders out? But I guess in some respects we all wish we could accomplish the same

posted by j b on 11/24/09 at 7:05 PM

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