environment

EPA grants $3M to Hudson Valley Regional Council

MILLERTON — The Hudson Valley Regional Council was selected to receive $3 million through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program under the Biden-Harris administration.

On Sept. 13, Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia, Hudson Valley Regional Council Executive Director Carla Castillo, and County Commissioner of Planning and Development Eoin Wrafter invited local community leaders to attend the press conference, which included Chris Kennan, the North East Supervisor.

“We are one of 14 different towns that have closed landfills that are seeping out methane,” Kennan said in a previous board meeting. “We are going to put biofilters on top of those ‘candy canes,’ and it is amazing what that does for methane.”

The grant will allow the Hudson Valley Regional Council to install biofilters that will decrease the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere from the closed landfills within the Hudson Valley area. The council will also promote the installation of solar arrays, battery storage, pollinator gardens and long-term ecosystems plans at former landfill sites.

“The Town of North East has been in the forefront of efforts to clean up our environment and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kennan. “We are proud to be part of a cohort of Hudson Valley communities that are focused on mitigating GHG emissions from our closed landfills. We are deeply grateful to the Hudson Valley Regional Council and to the EPA for this initiative and for the recognition that there are practical and affordable technologies to accomplish this goal.”

Ninety-three percent of the emissions produced by the Town of North East come from its landfill. The filters will be piles of mulch and woodchips containing methane-eating bacteria. By next year, the town is hoping to cover the venting hooks with mulch, sending the emissions directly into the bacteria-eating area.

According to experts at the Environmental Protection Agency, methane is 30 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

“Investing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution is critical to combat climate change and create a greener future for all,” said U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a press release. “I am thrilled to see that the Hudson Valley Regional Council has been selected for this grant to reduce fugitive methane emissions and help protect Hudson Valley communities from pollution.”

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant selections were made after a rigorous competition of nearly 300 reviewed applicants. Entities around the country could submit applications, and the applicants requested around $33 billion in funding.

Based on the applications that were accepted and their estimates, the grants should be able to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 148 million metric tons by 2030 and by 971 million metric tons by 2050.

The press release stated that out of the 14 closed landfills that were targeted, half of them were in historically disadvantaged communities. The participating municipalities are: the Town of Amenia, Town of Bethel, City of Beacon, Town of Cornwall, Dutchess County, Town of Gardiner, Town of Hurley, City of Mamaroneck, City of New Paltz, Town of North East, Town of Philipstown, Town of Rhinebeck, Town of Wallkill, Town of Woodstock.

environment

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete.It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

North East town records brought into the digital age

North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Correction: the Millerton News Street Fair was a collaborative effort between the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center.

MILLERTON — Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Keep ReadingShow less