Poughkeepsie Journal
by Craig Wolf
DOVER PLAINS — Cricket Valley Energy has three key approvals in hand that will help its quest to build a $1 billion power plant in the Wingdale section of Dover.
“I would recommend therefore that a NO2 monitor be located in the vicinity of the High and Middle Schools in Dover.”
- Town of Dover Independent Expert Dr. Bruce A. Egan
“EPA guidance calls for the use of meteorological data that is representative of the meteorology at the potential location of the source. Because of the complexity and uniqueness of the terrain, none of the NWS [National Weather Service] sites, in my opinion, would produce a meteorological data set that is representative of the conditions in Dover.”
- “Review of the Cricket Valley Energy Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Air Resources Section” by Dr. Bruce A. Egan, Sc.D., CCM
Dover Town Board to discuss Cricket Valley Energy Final Environmental Impact Statement at this week’s Town Meeting. Wednesday, August 15th at 6:30
The CVE FEIS does not address directly the observations and recommendations presented to the Town of Dover by Independent Expert Bruce Egan. DEC did not receive a copy of the report, and CVE is not legally bound to include Dr Egan’s comments in the FEIS because they were submitted after the SEQRA Public Comment period closed. Members of the Cricket Valley Team will be at Wednesday’s Town Meeting.
Bruce Egan submitted Draft Report and Supplemental Tables to the Dover Town Board on February 6, 2012. Mr. Egan is expected to present his findings to the Town Board for public discussion at the March 14th Town Meeting.
We attended the Cricket Valley Air Quality Workshop last night and attach a link to the presentation slides:
presentation slides >>
The Applicant is preparing the EIS which will reflect comments made during the Public Comment period on the DEIS, which closed on August 11. The EIS is expected to be produced before yearend. Draft air permits have been produced as follows:
We think more time is needed for the Town of Dover to interview, hire and make arrangements to fund the costs of an Independent Analyst who will review the DEIS on the behalf of the residents of Dover. This review will benefit the rest of the residents of the Harlem Valley, those living close by in the Hudson Valley and those in Litchfield County who will be affected by this project.
Northern Dutchess News
by Andrew Austin
DOVER – An energy company has proposed to build a 1,000-megawatt natural gas fired power plant on an old industrial site along Route 22. Some residents worry about the effect it could have on air quality and noise in town.
Cricket Valley Energy, an affiliate of Advanced Power Services, a Boston-based energy development company, has proposed building the plant on a 131-acre property that includes the Great Swamp. Cricket Valley says the swamp area itself will not be disturbed. Seventy-four acres of the site will be conserved and no significant wildlife habitat will be lost, according to information on the company’s Web site.
Millbrook Independent
By Stephen Kaye
A Dover resident raised new issues that cast doubt on several assumptions critical to the proposed Cricket Valley Energy plant last Saturday at the final public session on the DEIS. Written comments were read into the record by Constance du Hamel of behalf of Robert M. Herzog who could not be present. Those comments went to the heart of the economics of the plant and raised a serious question about noise levels.
Pawling Press
By Bette Tani
Dover Knolls received the go-ahead for their project in Wingdale from the Dover Town Board, June 29. The board approved the over all site-development plan, and sub-division plan for Phase 1A by a vote of 4-0, allowing Benjamin Companies to begin work at the 933-acre former psychiatric facility.
“Now that we have the approval from the town we hope to start something next year,” Project Manager Kathleen Schibanoff said.
“The first phase of the project will be a subdivision on the west side of the property where the power plant and golf course are,” she added.
Pawling Press
From the Editor’s desk
It all seems to be happening in Dover. But all is not gold that glitters.
There are a couple of mammoth projects underway in Dover. The first is Dover Knolls (DK) and this involves the redevelopment of the now unoccupied Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center. The second involves the construction of a 1,000 megawatt power plant just south of the Dover Middle and High School campus at the Mid-Hudson Recycling Center, an old industrial site. DK is largely through the permitting process but the power plant is not.
The Town Board of the Town of Dover hosted a public comment session on Saturday, July 9, soliciting feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Cricket Valley Energy’s proposed combined-cycle power plant.
The meeting was held at Dover Town Hall about concerns for the proposed power plant which is planned to be developed at an inactive industrial site off Route 22 in Dover approximately x miles north of the Pawling Town Line.
Open House
Saturday, July 23rd, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
5 Market Street, Dover Plains, NY
Cricket Valley Energy experts will be available to discuss the project and answer questions about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
Written comments on the DEIS must be submitted before Monday, August 1 to the Department of Environmental Conservation, lead agency for the project. Send your comments to the DEC by mail, email or fax:
Stephen M. Tomasik, Project Manager
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Permits
625 Broadway – 4th Fl.
Albany, NY 12233-1750
Fax: 518.402.9168
Email: depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us
- Robert Herzog’s comments answer this question.
Their answer is… no. Based on their expert analysis, NYISO stated in its 2009 Power Trends Evaluation, “Based on current NYISO projections, the state’s wholesale electric power system will continue to meet accepted reliability standards through 2018.” The NYISO 2010 report extends the period of reliability even further, to 2020. It might be more, but that is as far as their forecast period extends. The New York Control Area baseline summer peak demand forecast developed for the 2010 report shows a baseline energy forecast growth rate of 0.41% for the years 2011 through 2021. The 2009 report forecasted growth rate for annual energy in that period was 0.78%. That represents a 47% decrease in one year! The energy growth rate in the 2011 forecast is lower than in 2010 due to a lower econometric forecast and an increase in the projected amount of energy efficiency impacts.
Open Letter to our Elected Officials and DEC Region 3:
Request for Extension of the DEIS Public Comment for Dover to hire an independent expert to review the DEIS, and the funds to do so
Supervisor Courtien, Members of the Dover Town Board, County Legislator Surman, Assemblyman Molinaro, Senator Ball and DEC Region 3 Director Janeway,
After my cursory review of the Cricket Valley Energy (CVE) DEIS, it is my opinion that the Town of Dover will need an expert on natural gas power plants, and one who can assess CVE’s data, modeling assumptions, analysis, estimates and mitigation measures of the proposed 1000 megawatt power plant. In addition, we will need to corroborate the suggestions made by Robert Herzog and Jurgen Werkele [of the Sierra Club,] at the [added] Saturday Public Comment Session, that the Plant is not needed to meet energy demand in New York State, even with Indian Point coming off-line.
In a letter addressed to Constance DuHamel on July 12, 2011, Michael Seilback, Communications Director of the American Lung Association in New York, states, “[O]ur public policy agenda declares that we believe that we need to see more conservation, efficiency and the use of renewable resources before building new power plants.”
Poughkeepsie Journal has written a thoughtful Editorial on Cricket Valley Energy, remarking on the significant environmental impacts that will be felt in the Harlem Valley and beyond:
“Fewer projects are of more significance to eastern Dutchess County – and for the larger region, for that matter – than a proposed $ 1 billion electric power plant in the Town of Dover. The state is continuing to accept public comment about the proposal….”
- See article in The Poughkeepsie Journal, July 7, 2011
Millbrook Independent
By Antonia Shoumatoff
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation held a public hearing last Tuesday, June 28, on the draft environemntal impact statement (DEIS) for what is being called “the most efficient power plant on the grid in the region,” by consultants for the applicant, Cricket Valley Energy. Willy Janeway, Director of DEC Region 3, as well as Senator Kirsten Killibrand’s representative, Susan Spears, were in attendance. The Supervisor of the Town of Dover, Ryan Courtien, who had wanted the town to be the lead agency for this large project, introduced the public comment.
- See article in The Poughkeepsie Journal, July 5, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Bleakley, Christina, August 25, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Chiarito, Evelyn and Joseph, August 1, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Chipkin, Mark, August 1, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Curro, Venna, July 5, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Dover Union Free School District, July 13, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from DuHamel, Constance, July 9, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Environmental Protection Agency, July 29, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Fila, John, August 5, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Friends of the Great Swamp, August 5, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Herzog, Robert, July 9, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Holland, Susan, August 5, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Housatonic Valley Association, June 28, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Oblong Land Conservancy, July 9, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Purcell, Michael, July 9, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Sierra Club, August 4, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Tyner, Joel, August 1, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from U.S. Dept of the Interior, July 19, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Wade, Tamara, August 4, 2011
– Cricket Valley Energy DEIS Public Comments from Wilson, Stephen and Cate, August 5, 2011
Please submit your comments to:
Stephen M. Tomasik, Project Manager
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Permits
625 Broadway – 4th Fl.
Albany, NY 12233-1750
Fax: 518.402.9168
Email: depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us
