NORWICH – Ten grassroots power line opposition groups met over the weekend at the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce to align points of unity and form a steering committee.
More than 50 individuals from the following organizations attended: The Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition from Delaware County, Stop NYRI from Madison and Chenango counties, the Chenango County Farm Bureau, representatives of the California-based Sierra Club, Stop The Power Lines from Orange County, the National Park Service, and stop.nryi.com from the Upper Delaware Council. Several concerned citizens were also present.
According to Chamber President David Hall, the groups talked about the technical aspects of the project, New York Regional Interconnect’s key players, legal representation, media initiatives, fundraising and outreach efforts to legislators. A member of the Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition was elected chairman of the steering committee.
“There were several points of unity that we were all clear on,” Hall said. He listed them as eminent domain; whether <a href="http://www.evesun.com/topics/news/NYRI/">NYRI</a>’s Article VII application was complete or not; the fact that NYRI is a foreign-owned private company; that the proposed line is not a stand alone solution to the state’s energy problem; and that there’s no clear, documented need for the project.
While all of the participants called for Governor Pataki’s immediate signature on the state legislature’s recently revised eminent domain policy, Hall said everyone was aware that only 5 percent of the power line’s proposed route travels existing rights-of-way.
“That’s a relatively small area that eminent domain would even come into play,” he said.
The Chamber’s Board of Directors Chairman Greg Sheldon said those in attendance were “pulling in the same way” and making an effort to prevent each other from “doubling and tripling their efforts.”
Terry J. Bresina, City of Norwich Second Ward Alderman and Farm Bureau member, said he was encouraged by the groups’ strong intent to “beat this thing” and “to define common denominators and run with them.” Bresina said the fight is not only to beat back the power line, but also to prevent the Chenango River Valley from becoming a corridor for energy.
“They (NYRI) don’t want to pay the rent to follow the existing corridor on the Marcy line. That’s too bad. We have to kick <a href="http://www.evesun.com/topics/news/NYRI/">NYRI</a>’s tail and protect our valley,” he said.
