Yesterday afternoon, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced that it would no longer be releasing turbid water from the Ashokan Reservoir into the Esopus Creek, starting immediately. The press release from DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway explained the department's reasoning:
In the past two weeks during our routine analysis of conditions in the Ashokan Reservoir, water quality has improved faster than we expected when we committed to ending turbid releases by February 13. Based on new modeling which has taken this into account, we have concluded that we can immediately end turbid water releases from the West Basin of the Ashokan Reservoir and initiate clear water releases from the East Basin to flush out turbidity in the Lower Esopus. Starting today, clear water is now flowing through the waste channel and will continue for approximately three days, for a total release of 1.5 billion gallons—which is equivalent to three times the volume of water in the lower Esopus Creek.
But Ulster County residents and officials are already hopping mad about the DEP's decision to clean the turbid reservoir by releasing muddy water into the Esopus this winter, and even the earlier-than-expected cease-and-desist isn't going to soothe them.
The Daily Freeman reports that after the DEP's announcement yesterday, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein held a press conference in which he said that the DEP needs to do more to correct the damage:
“In no way shape or form does today’s commitment fully mitigate the damage that has been caused by their actions,” Hein said[.]
On Tuesday, DEP officials will meet with Ulster County officials and members of the public at a town meeting in the Town of Ulster Town Hall. The supervisor of the Town of Ulster, James Quigley, told the Freeman today that the DEP should expect some tough questions:
The Tuesday meeting will allow local residents to ask questions of representatives from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Quigley said. He said two previous sessions conducted by the New York City department, which operates the reservoir, did not allow local officials and residents to ask about the impacts of the water releases or why they were allowed to begin without public comment.
The DEP is also facing a lawsuit from Ulster County and an enforcement action from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation over the Esopus releases. Ulster County has a helpful fact sheet about the issues at stake in the conflict -- to read it, click here.
Earlier: More on the Esopus releases
