Woodstock Votes to Oppose Danskammer Fracked Gas Plant

For Immediate Release

At its November 17 session, the Woodstock Town Board passed a resolution opposing the massive expansion of the Danskammer fracked gas power plant in Newburgh.

By taking this action, Woodstock became the 26th municipality in New York to oppose the project.

“It is great news that Woodstock is joining communities up and down the Hudson River Valley that are standing up and urging Governor Cuomo to say no to this dirty, polluting power plant.  The governor is going to have to make some important decisions in the coming year, and it should be obvious, especially during a global health pandemic, that any project which puts our air and water at risk is wrong for New York,” said Food & Water Action organizer Emily Skydel.

Danskammer opponents cited the plant’s impact on local air pollution and the resulting increases in greenhouse gas emissions as key reasons to stop this fracked gas power plant. Hitting the state’s aggressive new goals for emissions reductions will be exceedingly difficult unless the state immediately stops construction of all new fossil fuel projects.  

"We are very glad to learn that the Town of Woodstock has joined 25 other municipalities who have drawn a line in the sand to say no more fossil fuel infrastructure by passing a resolution to oppose the ill-conceived Dankammer gas-fired expansion," said Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.  "This plant, located on a flood-prone shoreline of the Hudson River adjacent to the City of Newburgh, would add to the health impacts to this Environmental Justice community, which is already burdened with lead, a PFOS-contaminated drinking water supply, high asthma rates and related issues. This facility is not needed and would be a foolhardy investment of what would ultimately become ratepayer funds. Time to transition to a renewable energy economy, with storage and efficiency -- not add to the global climate crisis."

"We are very happy that the Town of Woodstock decided to join us in our fight to stop the proposed Danskammer energy plant. All of us in the Hudson Valley need to work together to stop the burning and transporting of fracked gas into our region and the entire state, and stopping this plant helps move us forward on that path, the path of renewable and sustainable energy," said Amy Kletter of the local group Ulster Activists.

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