General News: DEC Holds Public Hearing on KJ Wells
Photo by Jim Lennon. Cornwall Deputy Supervisor Jim McGee.
Photo by Jim Lennon. Cornwall Town Supervisor Randy Clark speaks at meeting.
Photo by Jim Lennon. DEC Hearing on KJ well.
May 02, 2014
5/1/14
The State Environmental Conservation held a meeting on Tuesday for speakers to express their opinions on the new proposed water well in the Town of Cornwall by the Village of Kiryas Joel. The well is located on about 10 acres of land that Kiryas Joel owns next to Route 32 in the Mountainville section of Cornwall.
Two public sessions were held at Cornwall Central High School at 3pm and 7pm. Elected officials, representatives from land conservation and environmental groups and local residents spoke their opinions.
The Town of Cornwall Supervisor Randy Clark made opening remarks and recalled a letter that the town received from the DEC in February of 2013. He said the initial letter did not state the correct location of the wells and was sent to Monroe area newspapers for posting. It also stated the project would not have a significant impact on the environment.
Clark said, “This letter woke Cornwall and its neighbors up.”
He then told the crowd that he wrote a letter to the editor of Cornwall-on-Hudson.com on July 6, 2013 saying “We must act and we have to act NOW to protect ourselves and our precious water rights for the future of this community. The history of this project, and its potential effects on the water supply of the surrounding wells, our surrounding communities, the impact on the environment and wastewater issue is something every property owner should be aware of.”
Several others spoke including Cornwall-on-Hudson Mayor Brendan Coyne, Town Board Member Peter Russell and Deputy Supervisor Jim McGee.
No one was present from the Village of Kiryas Joel.
