submitted by Rich Crist
A new and strengthened version of a County Drinking Water Protection Law was introduced in the Rensselaer County Legislature at its November 10 regular monthly meeting. [private]It is expected to receive solid support in the Legislature and also backing of resident groups.
The new Drinking Water Protection Law will be voted on at a special meeting of the Legislature on November 23 at 6 pm in the Legislative chambers. The new version of the law will include a mile-long blast radius, a two-mile blast radius around federal Superfund toxic waste sites, including the Loeffel toxic waste site, and a clause that allows towns to opt-out due to special circumstances.
“All along, we have said it was our job to get this law done right, not just done fast. We believe this is a version that will protect the drinking water resources of Rensselaer County, while ensuring the County’s ability to effectively pursue quality economic development opportunities,” said Chair of the Legislature Stan Brownell.
Many areas of Rensselaer County rely on wells to provide water for household and business uses. The new law will offer a new level of protection to property owners and the County to ensure those resources are maintained for current and future generations.
At the same time, the new law offers flexibility to towns, particularly municipalities with public drinking water systems, to opt-out from the law.
“We believe this is an effective law, and one that is at least as strong as any other drinking water protection law in the region. This new legislation reflects many, many hours of work by residents, lawmakers and staff, and we believe those efforts paid off,” said Legislator Judith Breselor.
“This local law will protect local water resources, while also maintaining local oversight on planning and zoning issues. We appreciate the early statements of support from residents who are leading the fight against this pipeline,” said Legislator Martin Reid.
Resident and environmental advocates praised the law, submitting nearly 3700 signatures on a petition supporting the legislation. One advocate said the legislation is “a bill far better than the bill passed in Albany County,” and a second called it “a triumph of reason, a triumph of democracy”.[/private]