How a Coast Guard move could allow barges to anchor in the Hudson River after all

Nancy Cutler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
·4 min read

KINGSTON - Years after Hudson River advocates stopped the expansion of commercial shipping anchorages from the Tappan Zee to Kingston, a recent decision by the U.S. Coast Guard puts that supposed ban in jeopardy.

The Coast Guard basically is reinterpreting which rules cover that stretch of river. The change could alter where and how large vessels anchor along the fragile estuary.

"The consequences are a very big deal," said John Lipscomb, boat captain and vice president of advocacy for Riverkeeper, the environmental organization that advocates for the Hudson.

If the changes stand, Lipscomb said, except for a few certain areas, "you can anchor any vessel, anywhere for any reason or for any duration."

What's at stake

A recent boating excursion off Roundout Landing in Kingston underscores some of the concerns with having fuel-laden barges loaded with all sorts of cargo anchoring nearby.

  • Mid-Hudson communities — including Esopus, Lloyd, Hyde Park, town and village of Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie town and city — draw drinking water from the Hudson.

The Port Ewen water treatment plant on the Hudson River in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston, Oct. 25, 2023. This area would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.
The Port Ewen water treatment plant on the Hudson River in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston, Oct. 25, 2023. This area would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.

  • The stretch of river is critical habitat for Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, both endangered species.

  • Various communities have invested millions into revitalizing their waterfronts. Any mishap could jeopardize the investment and recreational opportunities.

How change happened

The change was laid out in a July 2023 Marine Safety Information Bulletin.

The document offers a new interpretation of the boundaries for the Port of New York.

The Coast Guard examined a 1921 interstate compact that set up the Port of New York and New Jersey and said the boundary ended 25 miles from the Statue of Liberty, instead of stretching up to the Port of Albany.

That puts the the Port of New York's boundaries around Irvington on the east riverbank and Piermont to the west.

The bulletin states that mariners north of the boundary don't have to follow earlier anchorage restrictions "because they are not considered to be in the 'Port of New York.' "

Why the change and why now? That remains unclear.

Residences along the Hudson River in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston, Oct. 25, 2023. This area would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.
Residences along the Hudson River in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston, Oct. 25, 2023. This area would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.

But it's clear who benefits.

"As always it comes down to profit," said U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, whose 18th District includes Orange County and sections of Dutchess and Ulster counties. "It's cheaper for them to turn that whole stretch of river into a parking lot."

The ports of Albany and Coeymans are often congested, Lipscomb said. The added anchorages would be "like a waiting room" to help ease the chokepoint.

Why earlier anchorage plan was scrapped

Back in 2016, the Coast Guard, at the request of industry, floated a plan to establish 10 new fixed anchorage sites from Yonkers to Kingston for commercial vessels.

Elected officials from every level of government and several environmental groups opposed the move.

John Lipscomb, boat captain and vice president of advocacy for Riverkeeper, gives a tour of the Kingston area on the Hudson River Oct. 25, 2023, which would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.

A range of state agencies, including the Office of Parks and Recreation and the Department of State, protested the Coast Guard proposal. More than 10,200 public comments were sent in, about 10,000 disagreeing with the plan.

In 2019, the Coast Guard said it was scrapping the plan.

In a belts-and-suspenders move, in 2021, Congress blocked any new anchorages in the Hudson between Yonkers and Kingston as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Elected officials and environmental leaders like Lipscomb say the Coast Guard's new designation for the Port of New York needs a full review and public airing.

What's happening now

Riverkeeper has demanded that the Coast Guard rescind its reclassification until it performs a slew of federal and state environmental reviews.

That includes addressing those 10,000 negative comments made on the 2016 proposal to add 10 new anchorages. The Coast Guard, because it shelved the earlier plan, never offered responses to the critical comments.

John Lipscomb, boat captain and vice president of advocacy for Riverkeeper, and his dog Batu, after a boat ride on the Hudson River in the Kingston area Oct. 25, 2023, which would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier.

Ryan agrees. Plus, he said, more public comment should be gathered. Until that happens, the congressional Democrat plans to create a portal on his website to collect comments, which his office would then turn over to the Coast Guard.

Meanwhile, legal action is being considered by the Hudson 7, a collaboration of the mid-Hudson municipalities representing more than 100,000 people that draw their drinking water from the Hudson River.

Riverkeeper also believes the Coast Guard is violating that 2021 law that scrapped the earlier anchorage plan.

That first bill was championed by former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who represented an earlier configuration of the 18th District. Ryan said he's ready to raise the issue again in Congress.

"If we need to, legislatively, certainly we'll take this up as legislation to clarify," he said. But, he added, the earlier law "was crystal clear."

Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Email her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her on Twitter (X), Instagram and Threads at @nancyrockland.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hudson River changes by Coast Guard allows anchorages past Tappan Zee