NORWICH - Confident and consolidated. The eight counties that face occupation by an army of 115 foot tall steel soldiers have decided to rally their leaders, citizens and resources in a concerted front against New York Regional Interconnect Inc.’s proposed power line project.

At a meeting Thursday at the Chenango County Office Building, state Senators Raymond Meier, Thomas Libous and Jim Seward, with Assemblymen Gary Finch and Clifford Crouch, pledged unfaltering support to representatives from Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Orange and Sullivan counties in the goal of forming one regional team to oppose NYRI. “We’re going to continue to merge the efforts of all the counties into one steering committee,” said Seward, “to fight this power line in a united way.”

While NYRI’s 400 kV high voltage line would divide these counties from Marcy down to New Windsor, it has united affected citizens and their leaders into a non-partisan outfit dead-set against it.