14 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Activists rally in Astoria Park against fracked-gas power plant
BY JULIA MORO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Elected offi cials and environmental
activists gathered in Astoria Park on
Th ursday, Aug. 26, to protest plans for
NRG Energy’s fracked gas plant that
would replace 50-year-old power generators
in the Ditmars-Steinway area.
About 50 people gathered in the park on
the second and last day of public hearings
for the project, which is currently under
review by the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Th e DEC approved draft permits for
NRG’s gas-fi red power plant in early July.
Activists are hoping that there is a new
opportunity to shut down the project with
Kathy Hochul taking over as
governor.
A s s e m b l y m a n
Zohran Mamdani,
who represents Astoria,
called on Hochul to
stand against fossil fuels
in her administration and
commit to renewable energy
. “With finally putting
Governor Andrew Cuomo in our
rearview mirror, I think that there
comes an opportunity to have a real climate
champion or at least not an obstacle
to fi ghting back against the climate crisis,
which is what Cuomo was,” Mamdani
said.
“Every day, I see my neighbors across
Astoria suff er from some of the worst air
quality in our city and we have the asthma
rates to show for it. Enough is enough,”
Mamdani said. “We are sick and tired
of investments being made in dirty fossil
fuels when we can build clean energy
today.”
Th e proposal for this new project
has received staunch opposition from
high-profi le New York leaders including
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,
Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez and Carolyn Maloney as well as
Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“For far too long the residents of western
Queens have lived in the shadow of
New York City’s power plants, bearing the
brunt of the environmental and health
consequences as the smokestacks continue
to belch pollution – that
needs to stop today,” Schumer said
at a previous rally against NRG’s proposal.
NRG has operated 15-acre gas
turbines in northern Astoria
since 1999. Th ey say their
proposed plan to upgrade the
existing peaker plant is meant
to provide backup or standby
power if the city’s system fails
due to extreme hot or cold
temperatures or in the event
of a storm.
Tom Atkins, vice president
of development at
NRG, previously said that
the peaker facility would
reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by nearly 5 million
tons. Th e project would
also create 500 new union
jobs during construction and
$156 million for the state.
However, elected officials
have called out NRG
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani speaks at a rally protesting NRG’s upgrade of their peaker plant.
for violating and undermining the
Climate Leadership and Community
Protection Act, which the state passed
to cut greenhouse gas emissions to netzero
by 2050.
“A rebuilt NRG plant that will keep
a fossil fuel-dependent power
plant in Astoria for years to
come would directly undermine
the urgently needed
goals laid out in New
York’s groundbreaking climate
law, the CLCPA,” Schumer
previously said.
However, NRG Spokesperson
David Schrader maintains that
the proposed project will result in
large reductions in statewide gas
emissions.
“NRG’s plan to upgrade its Astoria
plant with state-of-the-art technology
is fully consistent with the CLCPA
as it will immediately result in significant
reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions and supports the expansion
of renewable energy resources
throughout the state,” Schrader
said.
Other local leaders like state
Senator Michael Gianaris called on
the DEC to reject the permit application,
saying he will continue to fi ght
against the project until it is dead.
State Senator Jessica Ramos recognized
Photos by Corey Torpie
Astoria as “Asthma Alley,” speaking
to the health eff ects caused by fossil
fuel emissions.
“Asthma Alley” refers to the Astoria
and Long Island City corridor that is
known for abnormally high childhood
asthma rates possibly due to the over-concentration
of New York City’s power-generating
plants.
“My neighbors are literally and fi guratively
sick of being used as sacrifi cial
lambs for the fossil fuel industry,” Ramos
said. “Astorians do not want another
fracked gas plant polluting the air that
they breathe. As we are currently experiencing
the deleterious eff ects of climate
change, it is absolutely ludicrous that this
even needs to be debated. Hochul and the
DEC must deny these permits to NRG to
protect Astorians and our climate.”
During the virtual hearings this week,
more than 150 speakers strongly opposed
the project. Some were young high school
students of the area, who said they were
scared for their futures.
“I’m only 17 years old, so I’m in no
way a scientist,” said one speaker. “Th e
extent of my scientifi c credibility is in
high school environmental courses, however
even in these classes, they tell us
the costs of more fracking and fossil fuel
emissions. Fossil fuels are destroying my
future. I want you to take that into consideration.”
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