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TCALERT
Torne Valley hearing 2/15-28 - Be There!
 2/7/2001
Torne Valley ENB 1/1/2001
Call to Action
Rally to Save Torne Valley
Now is the time to act to prevent the development of
Torne Valley on the southwestern edge of Harriman State Park.
Currently the best advice on the most effective way of preventing
development is to write Governor Pataki
or Governor Whitman (about the water
issues). See sample
letters, but it is more effective to
compose your own letter. Below are some talking points
on the issues to help you write your own letter, opinions of others and a long
shot possibility.
Other actions you can take, contribute money or time to:
Torne Valley Preservation Association
PO Box 765
Hillburn, NY 10931
E-mail: savetorne@aol.com
Background
The Torne Valley is shown on the map below, just north of Suffern,
NY and the junction of I-287 and the NYS Thruway. It is the white area
surrounded on three sides by Harriman State Park down to the Ramapo
River which parallels the major roads.
The area is currently zoned industrial and contains several major
power lines and a large substation, a gas line (which is what makes
the area attractive to the power companies), a capped Super Fund site,
and a waste transfer station. It also contains several historic sites
(see below). In spite of the industry currently in the valley, most of
it is remarkably green and undisturbed.
Talking Points
Limited water supply
The Ramapo River, its tributaries and the underlying Federally
designated Sole Source Aquifer for the Interstate Ramapo River Basin
are the prime source of drinking water for 2 million residents of
Rockland County and Northern New Jersey. During the summer the river
is almost dry. The situation is severe enough that the water company
has an agreement with PIPC to draw on water from Pine Meadow Lake and
Lake Sebago. Electric utilities and quarrying operations are heavy
consumers of water. NJ also draws heavily from the Ramapo River. They
have a 3-4 foot intake pipe that they use to pump water from the
Ramapo into the Wanaque Reservoir, but the water has to get there
before they can pump it.
Water supply contamination
Industrial use always has the strong possibility of toxic materials
getting into the water supply. The lower reaches of the valley already
have two such remediation sites, the capped superfund site and soil
contaminated with freon near the United Water wells. Blasting for
quarrying and/or the construction of the power plants can potentially
damage the flow patterns in the aquifer.
Air pollution
Although gas fired power plants are cleaner than coal fired plants,
they are far from clean. For example they would have to
"buy" pollution rights from somewhere else in order to
further pollute an area which is already under tight controls for too
much pollution.
Quarrying is inherently a dusty operation which puts large
quantities of particulate matter into the air.
Fishing
Torne Brook which flows through the center of the valley is one of
the few native brook trout streams in the entire region. Trout
breeding depends heavily on water temperature. Today the brook is
largely very shaded and remains cool. With the development, most of
the trees in the area would be removed and the temperature would rise
enough to destroy the trout breeding.
Disturbance to wildlife
Beside the trout in Torne Brook, most of the south facing slope of
Torne Mountain is prime rattlesnake territory, a protected species. It
is the kind of terrain that a careful environmental assessment may
turn up other threatened or protected species. Some of those known to
inhabit the area are Red Tail Hawks, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron,
Fox, Coyote, Black Bear as well as the threatened Osprey and a Turkey
Vulture Rookery.
Disturbance of historical features
Some of the historical features of the Valley include:
- Native American Rock Shelters dating back 10,000 years
- Revolutionary War fortifications, Camp Ramapugh
- Historic Iron Works site (1795)
- Torne Brook Farm (1873), on National Registry of Historic Places
- Torne Mountain and Valley are the subject of major Hudson River
School Paintings by J.F. Cropsey
Non-local consumption
The immediate area does not lack for electric power. Most of the
power generated here would just go into the power grid and be used
elsewhere. It could just as easily be generated elsewhere at some
place with less environmental impact, e.g. replace an existing
polluting coal burning plant.
Scenic viewshed
The Torne Valley is one gateway to the Highlands region. It is
beyond any doubt the most heavily used gateway with both the NYS
Thruway and Rt 17 going right past the Valley with obvious views into
the valley and the slopes of the Torne. The land is surrounded on
three sides by Harriman State Park and is easily viewed from many
places on the ridge, all of which have long existing trails. Any
development here will forever destroy the view which is already
somewhat marred by the superfund dump site and a major electric
transmission line.
Noise
Quarrying is one of the noisiest operations of industrial usage,
only slightly better than living next to a jetport. Blasting, rock
crushing, trucks grinding up steep grades, OSHA backup alarms all
contribute to the noise.
Highway safety
One of the main outputs of the power plants will be vast quantities
of water vapor. Under some weather conditions this is likely to form a
dense fog filling the valley and spilling down to cover the Thruway
and Rt 17, creating an obvious safety problem.
Opinions of groups
At the Trail Conference board meeting on January 18, 2000 the board
voted to support opposing the development of Torne Valley.
At the delegates meeting on February 3, 2000 the delegates heard a
presentation by Geoff Welch, the Ramapo director for the Rockland
County Conservation Association, which has formed the Committee to
Save the Torne Valley. Many delegate spoke in favor of strong support.
Several member clubs have taken strong positions against the
development for a long time.
The Town of Ramapo is on record as favoring development. If you
live in Ramapo, tell them what you think. Also write a letter to your
local newspaper.
So far Rockland County has not opposed the development. If you live
in Rockland County, write the county executive and your local
representative. Also write a letter to your
local newspaper.
The Regional Plan Association has called for the Highlands to be
preserved as a green ward. A quick look at a map shows only a brief
gap between Harriman State Park and the NJ parks in the Ramapo
Mountains. Torne Valley and High Mountain across the Thruway from the
Valley are needed to preserve this green ward. The National Forest
Service of the Highlands also points out the key nature of protecting
this area, delineating where the pavement ends and nature begins.
Sixty-four towns in NJ have signed a Resolution
Supporting the Preservation of Lands within the Ramapo River Watershed.
Allendale, Alpine,
Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Demarest, East Rutherford, Edgewater.
Elmood Park, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawn, Fairview,
Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock,
Hackensack, Harrington Park, Haworth, Ho Ho
Kus, Leonia, Mahwah, Maywood, Midland Park, Moonachie, New Milford,
North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Oradell, Ramsey,
Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge,
River Vale, Rochelle Park, Rutherford, Saddle
Brook, Saddle River, Teaneck, Tenafly, Upper Saddle River,
Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge
In Passaic County: Clifton, Haledon,
Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Haledon, Passaic, Prospect Park,
Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne
In Essex County: Belleville, Cedar Grove,
Essex Fells, Fairfield, Maplewood, North Caldwell, Roseland,
South Orange
On
June 6, 2000 the Rockland County Legislature unanimously voted
opposition to the power plants in Torne Valley. Previously the County
Executive expressed limited opposition based on the water issues. For
Jan Hesbon's presentation on behalf of the Trail Conference to the
Legislature, click here.
Long Shot
If you know of a good place for the electric utilities to build,
e.g. replace an existing more polluting power plant, write the power
companies and suggest that they become environmental heroes by
pursuing better opportunities.
Sithe Energies
450 Lexington Ave., 37th Fl.
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-450-9000
Ramapo Energy Limited Partnership
65 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752
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