PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION CORPORATION

Construction in Park May Begin in August
Filtration Study Criticized

By Heather Haddon

Construction of an 11-acre, $1.5 billion water filtration plant could begin as soon as August 5, 2004 in Van Cortlandt Park, according to the summary of a draft environmental review released by the city's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) two weeks ago. 

Although the review, known technically as the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) compares the suitability of three sites -- two in the Bronx and one in Westchester -- it is virtually certain that the city will emerge from the process and choose Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park, in which case work could begin in August.

The city agreed to study the two other sites -- on the Harlem River near Fordham Road and at a site known as Eastview in Westchester -- in a deal with the governor and state legislature. Lawmakers wanted to bring something back to community and environmental groups, most of whom opposed the plan, before giving the city the go-ahead. With the exception of Jeffrey Dinowitz, an ardent opponent of the project, the entire Bronx Assembly delegation agreed to vote for the "alienation" of Van Cortlandt Park in return for $243 million earmarked for Bronx park projects. 

Mayor Bloomberg himself told the Norwood News at a meeting with community 
newspaper editors last August that the SEIS would not get in the way of the city's 
determination to build the plant at Mosholu Golf Course. "The EIS is not gonna stop this," he said.

The proposed start dates for Harlem River and Eastview are March 31, 2005 and Sept. 5, 2005 respectively. 

Though few local residents have read the document (it is reported to be more than a thousand pages long) because it has not yet been released on CD or the 100-page executive summary now on DEP's Web site, some filtration opponents are criticizing the plan for not evaluating the three sites equally. 

The SEIS addresses potential impacts in a number of areas, such as traffic, neighborhood character and noise, but the document does not look at the same impacts for each site. For instance, while the air quality is explored at Eastview, it appears from review of the full document's index that such a study is omitted at Mosholu. Neighborhood character and historic and archaeological resources are not reviewed at Mosholu in the executive summary either. 

"If there's an impact on air at Eastview, there's definitely an impact at Mosholu and the Harlem River," said Karen Argenti, a longtime opponent of the DEP's plans, who began to review the full document at Community Board 7, where it is available to the community. (Eastview is a remote former industrial site owned by the city.)

Asked about the differences, Charles Sturcken, director of public and intergovernmental affairs at the DEP, said, "You can be sure that all three sites got the same going over as each other." He added, "Believe me, we're not trying to make mistakes on this."Argenti disagrees. "They're fast-tracking this thing," she said. "They're not doing it the right way. It's just simply outrageous." 

Sturcken said the city plans to release the final impact study and officially announce the site it has chosen by the end of June. 

"Our plan is to finalize the process by June 30 and probably the hearings will be set down in March," he said, referring to the public hearings that will be held on the three sites. While an aerial photo of what the Mosholu site would look like after construction appears on the DEP's Web site, it is encrypted and cannot be saved or reproduced. Natalie Milner, an agency spokesperson, said that was a precaution taken for security purposes. 

Opponents of the plant, particularly the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, are waiting to see how and if the agency proceeds with the process of zoning the plant before they decide on whether to sue the city. 

The executive summary of the SEIS states: "The applicability of New York City Zoning Resolution Section 11-13 is still under consideration. All permits and approvals considered being potentially required and the rationale for them would be made public." 

Ed. note: The draft SEIS for the Croton water filtration project is available for review at Community Board 7, 229A E. 204th St. in Bedford Park. The phone number is (718) 933-5650. The executive summary can be read on-line at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/news/croton.html

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