| Senate Hearing in Norwich: STOP NYRI Leader Brings Crowd to its Feet; NYRI's 'Independent Contractors' Get Grilled |
|
The last time residents gathered at Norwich High School to
hear about the New York Regional Interconnect, Inc. 400-
kilovolt power line proposed to run through Madison and
Chenango counties, some didn’t get seats and most didn’t
get the answers they sought.
Things were different Thursday night.
Once again, more than 500 people showed up. This time,
all found seats in a steamy high school gym, and a panel
of five New York State senators ran the meeting instead of
representatives of the private company proposing a 200-
mile-long power line be built from Marcy in Oneida County
to New Windsor in Orange County.
Seven individuals and organizations delivered testimony
before the Senate Energy and Telecommunications
Committee, chaired by Se. Jim Wright, R-Watertown. Most
participants delivered testimony and thanked by Wright
and fellow senators Ray Meier, Tom Libous, Dave Valesky
and Jim Seward, all of whom expressed strong opposition
to the $1.62 billion project.
But, when three self-described “independent contractors”
for NYRI testified at the end of the hearing, the senators
had numerous pointed questions. Most also had
comments. Meier, R-Utica, called the project a
“monstrosity”. All said the intended to fight the project.
It was Eve Ann Shwartz, a Town of Hamilton farmer and co-
leader of STOP NYRI, who brought the crowd to its feet.
She testified that the proposed power line was, “Bad
energy policy. Bad economic policy. And, bad planning.”
Shwartz added: “It will undermine our already fragile rural
economy, raise the cost of electricity for local businesses
and residents, and forever alter the untouched and
irreplaceable natural environment which is the heart of our
beautiful rural communities.”
Richard Decker, chairman of the Chenango County Board
of Supervisors, told the senators the power line project
would undermine the county’s economic plans and lower
property values. Decker said a home in North Norwich now
valued at the average of $66,900 would be reduced to
$50,175 once the power line project is built through the
community.
Referring to NYRI’s application to the Public Service
Commission includes a $30 million fund to pay for
community projects along the proposed line, Decker said,
“We don’t need it. We don’t want it.”
Others who testified were:
David Hall, Chenango County Chamber of Commerce
president;
Bradd Vickers, Chenango County Farm Bureau president;
And Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum, a local physician.
Jaclyn Brilling, secretary to the state Public Service
Commission also testified. She explained in detail the
Article VII regulatory process. There are nine phases to
the process, and Brilling said NYRI is in the second phase,
the application review.
Ending the evening was the testimony of three men
representing NYRI: William May, Robert Malecki and
Leonard Singer. Each of the senators, and Assemblyman
Cliff Crouch who was invited to join the panel, had
numerous questions for the three. Each also made it clear
that they opposed the project and were dissatisfied with
NYRI’s explanation of the project, its request for numerous
waivers from Article VII requirements and the fact that none
of the three knew the individuals they work for and where
the company is located.
Wright ended the hearing by giving May, Malecki and
Singer a homework assignment: find out and tell the
committee who NYRI’s investors are, who the officers are,
where the company is headquartered and if NYRI intends
to be a good corporate citizen of New York State.
Wright said this was the first of several such Senate
hearings. Other will be scheduled in other communities
along the route of the proposed project.
Posted 2006.6.16
hear about the New York Regional Interconnect, Inc. 400-
kilovolt power line proposed to run through Madison and
Chenango counties, some didn’t get seats and most didn’t
get the answers they sought.
Things were different Thursday night.
Once again, more than 500 people showed up. This time,
all found seats in a steamy high school gym, and a panel
of five New York State senators ran the meeting instead of
representatives of the private company proposing a 200-
mile-long power line be built from Marcy in Oneida County
to New Windsor in Orange County.
Seven individuals and organizations delivered testimony
before the Senate Energy and Telecommunications
Committee, chaired by Se. Jim Wright, R-Watertown. Most
participants delivered testimony and thanked by Wright
and fellow senators Ray Meier, Tom Libous, Dave Valesky
and Jim Seward, all of whom expressed strong opposition
to the $1.62 billion project.
But, when three self-described “independent contractors”
for NYRI testified at the end of the hearing, the senators
had numerous pointed questions. Most also had
comments. Meier, R-Utica, called the project a
“monstrosity”. All said the intended to fight the project.
It was Eve Ann Shwartz, a Town of Hamilton farmer and co-
leader of STOP NYRI, who brought the crowd to its feet.
She testified that the proposed power line was, “Bad
energy policy. Bad economic policy. And, bad planning.”
Shwartz added: “It will undermine our already fragile rural
economy, raise the cost of electricity for local businesses
and residents, and forever alter the untouched and
irreplaceable natural environment which is the heart of our
beautiful rural communities.”
Richard Decker, chairman of the Chenango County Board
of Supervisors, told the senators the power line project
would undermine the county’s economic plans and lower
property values. Decker said a home in North Norwich now
valued at the average of $66,900 would be reduced to
$50,175 once the power line project is built through the
community.
Referring to NYRI’s application to the Public Service
Commission includes a $30 million fund to pay for
community projects along the proposed line, Decker said,
“We don’t need it. We don’t want it.”
Others who testified were:
David Hall, Chenango County Chamber of Commerce
president;
Bradd Vickers, Chenango County Farm Bureau president;
And Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum, a local physician.
Jaclyn Brilling, secretary to the state Public Service
Commission also testified. She explained in detail the
Article VII regulatory process. There are nine phases to
the process, and Brilling said NYRI is in the second phase,
the application review.
Ending the evening was the testimony of three men
representing NYRI: William May, Robert Malecki and
Leonard Singer. Each of the senators, and Assemblyman
Cliff Crouch who was invited to join the panel, had
numerous questions for the three. Each also made it clear
that they opposed the project and were dissatisfied with
NYRI’s explanation of the project, its request for numerous
waivers from Article VII requirements and the fact that none
of the three knew the individuals they work for and where
the company is located.
Wright ended the hearing by giving May, Malecki and
Singer a homework assignment: find out and tell the
committee who NYRI’s investors are, who the officers are,
where the company is headquartered and if NYRI intends
to be a good corporate citizen of New York State.
Wright said this was the first of several such Senate
hearings. Other will be scheduled in other communities
along the route of the proposed project.
Posted 2006.6.16
|
|
|
|
