The Hudson Valley’s preeminent environmental group is suing New York City over its agreement with Catskill Mountain towns that loosens restrictions on nearly 150 square miles of city-owned land in the mountain formation, including allowing the construction of renewable energy infrastructure and utilities.
The agreement at hand, referred to as “the bridge agreement,” alters what can be done with the city-owned land and limits future purchases. It is acting as a two-year bridge as the city begins negotiations to maintain its Filtration Avoidance Determination, a regulatory waiver with the state Department of Health that allows the city to continue using its upstate reservoir system without filtering the water. Building a filtration system would cost the city billions of dollars.
New York City has purchased more than 220 square miles in the Catskills since a 1997 agreement meant to keep the Catskill reservoirs’ water potable by buying land in the region and keeping it undeveloped. Local Catskill leaders have chaffed under the agreement, arguing it depresses their tax base and undercuts local control. Catskill leaders were overjoyed with the bridge agreement they negotiated with the city last year, which also necessitated their approval for any future land purchases between the city and private landowners…