Controversy Develops Regarding Anchor Ban of Ships on the Hudson

by Mindy Cohn

Concern among environmentalists and lawmakers is mounting over where barges may now be able to anchor after the U.S. Coast Guard redefined the boundaries of the Port of New York.

The new boundary now includes the Hudson River up to the Tappan Zee Bridge, resulting in concerns that have bobbed up over what that might mean about large commercial cargo vessels carrying oil or other potentially hazardous cargo. 

The concerns hinge on the vessel's contents, which can include hazardous materials that, under the new boundaries, would be able to anchor north of the Tappan Zee.

The fear is that allowing barges loaded with hazardous cargo to anchor for extended periods will threaten the river's ecosystem and increase the risk of petroleum spills, which could cause similar harm.

In response to this concern, Congressman Pat Ryan has called on the Coast Guard to uphold the anchoring ban on the Hudson despite any redefined boundaries.

“This could turn the Hudson River into a parking lot for dangerous oil barges, threatening the health and safety of our kids, the more than 100,000 people who rely on the river for their drinking water, and our entire ecosystem,”  Ryan said in a news release Wednesday.