November 7, 2008, The Daily Star: NYRI is Blasted at State Hearing
NYRI is blasted at state hearing
By Tom Grace
Cooperstown News Bureau
November 07, 2008 04:00 am
link to article is here:
https://www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_312040010.html/resources_printstory
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NORWICH _ Residents of Chenango and its surrounding counties took aim at NYRI on Thursday afternoon during a hearing held at the Council of the Arts auditorium in Norwich.
The hearing was held by the state's Public Service Commission.
NYRI, short for New York Regional Interconnection, has proposed a 400,000-volt, 10-story tall direct-current power line that would run from Marcy in Oneida County to New Windsor in Orange County. Various proposed routes could take the line through sections of Delaware, Chenango and Otsego counties.
Proponents say it would help relieve the high price of electricity in the New York City area, improve the state's electrical grid and foster ``green'' projects such as windmill farms.
Opponents, like Dr. Glenn Stein of Norwich, see the project purely as a scheme to enrich investors. Stein, who testified Thursday, told two administrative law judges, ``The only thing green about NYRI is the money they're going to make.''
To laughter and cheers from a crowd of about 130, Stein read from NYRI's application in which ``they had the unmitigated gall to write that `overhead transmission lines may have a positive effect on property values.'''
Included in that application are photographs that show the firm has gone to great lengths to minimize the project's effect on the landscape, he said.
``This project is bad economic policy and bad energy policy,'' he added, comparing it to running a long extension cord down the state when what may be needed is a generating facility near the city.
With NYRI President Chris Thompson, spokesman David Kalson, attorney Leonard Singer and others from the firm listening, Lisa Oristian of Hubbardsville said that people are tired of defending themselves from ``obscenities like NYRI.''
The 190-mile-long, $2 billion project, which has been deemed unnecessary by the New York Independent System Operator, is essentially ``a home invasion,'' Oristian said, warning that ``when people are pushed, they shove back.''
Several speakers at the session also noted the opposition of the ISO, which operates the state's electrical grid, as well as that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has guaranteed ratepayers, not investors, will have to pay for the project.
State Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, whose 107th District would be bisected by the line, characterized NYRI as ``merely a group of investors seeking to make a profit at the expense of upstate residents.''
Personal stories heard
Some residents spoke of the personal hardships the project would cause.
Jackie Angelino, who lives on county Route 33 in Norwich, said the power line would run through her yard near the $200,000 house she just built.
``If this goes through, I'll lose all my equity,'' she told the presiding administrative law judges, Michelle Phillips and Jeffrey Stockholm.
Kenneth St. John of Norwich said NYRI's line ``would go through the middle of our property, and I don't believe there's a need for it. The only people who will benefit from this are the people behind it and maybe some politicians.''
Restaurant owner Candy Ramer of Sherburne said she and her neighbors haven't felt the need to lock their doors, but ``lo and behold, now we have a burglar in the valley who wants to take everything we hold near and dear.''
Cancer risks associated with power lines were the subject of comments from William Au of Sherburne, and also in written comments jointly submitted by Au; a clinical pharmacologist, Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum; a Norwich radiologist, Dr. Tom Holmes; and Les Roberts, an epidemiologist.
``There is a strong and well-documented association between high-voltage AC power lines and childhood leukemia, and an association between workplace DC electrical exposure and leukemia and brain-cancer risks in adults,'' they wrote.
Stockholm responded to Au's comments by saying the PSC would consider any cancer risks the project poses.
Perry Owens of Norwich said he and his wife had conducted a study and determined 1,097 properties in Chenango County would be directly affected by the project.
``There will be mass evictions through eminent domain; it will be a disaster,'' he said.
The hearing continued through much of the afternoon and was scheduled to be followed by an evening session, the last of the PSC's public comment hearings on this project.
Chris Brunner of Norwich, who testified against the line, said outside the hearing that the PSC is slated to consider new possible routes for the project in the next few weeks.
Anne Dalton, PSC spokeswoman, said people who want to comment by mail may send letters to Jaclyn Brilling, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350. Comments should note that NYRI is case number 06-T-0650. Comments may also be registered by calling (800) 335-2120 or online at www.dps.state.ny.us.
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November 7, 2008, Greenwire: Natural Gas: Marcellus Growing Pains Lead to Water-Discharge Woes for Pa. Industry
NATURAL GAS: Marcellus growing pains lead to water-discharge woes for Pa. industry (11/06/2008)
Katie Howell, Land Letter reporter
A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection mandate limiting the treatment of wastewater from oil and gas drilling sites at sewage-processing plants that discharge into the Monongahela River could have far-reaching effects on the development of the prolific Marcellus Shale natural gas reservoir that underlies most of the state.
DEP, which has been investigating and attempting to dilute the levels of dissolved solids in the river, late last month ordered seven sewage plants that discharge into the Monongahela River Basin to significantly limit the amount of wastewater flow they allow through plants each day, a DEP spokeswoman said.
Teresa Candori, the spokeswoman, said the department restricted sewage treatment plants from allowing more than 1 percent of their daily flow to be drilling wastewater until the levels of total dissolved solids fall. Prior to the restriction, the plants allowed 10 percent to 20 percent of their daily flow to be wastewater from drilling, Candori said.
"We're very concerned about this. It has an immediate impact on Marcellus development," said Louis D'Amico, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Organization of Pennsylvania. "There are very few options [for wastewater disposal] once you start taking away sewage plants. It will have a tremendous impact on the industry."
Natural gas producers have been flocking to Appalachia in the past year to tap the Marcellus reservoir, which could hold as many as 50 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, or one-fourth of total U.S. reserves. Geologists and engineers have long known about the prolific reservoir but lacked the technology and sustained high natural gas prices to make it profitable to explore (Greenwire, May 5).
That changed as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology emerged, gas prices skyrocketed and Range Resources Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, announced late last year that a Pennsylvania well was producing 3 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus reservoir.
Now the state is experiencing growing pains as it welcomes an influx of industry. The state has opened up public lands for exploration, much to the chagrin of environmental groups. And it has worked to establish environmental protections to safeguard against the pitfalls of horizontal drilling.
Hydraulic fracturing, the method of choice for producers looking to break apart the tightly packed shale and release the natural gas trapped in tiny pore spaces, requires pumping large amounts of chemically laced water into the ground.
That wastewater is what DEP is concerned is adding to the dissolved solid levels in the Monongahela River, which runs through southwestern Pennsylvania -- the heart of Marcellus country.
But industry officials say the water is not toxic and is not affecting the level of pollutants in the river.
"The water we're discharging is mostly [hydraulic fracturing] water. It's essentially freshwater with a little sand -- but hopefully that sand is left behind in the formation -- and some lubricants, but these are not toxic," D'Amico said.
DEP said the oil and gas drilling -- and specifically the Marcellus exploration -- was not totally to blame for the dismal conditions in the Monongahela. Candori said acid mine drainage runoff and low flow rates as a result of little rainfall were also at fault.
"Oil and gas drilling wastewater is not the primary source," Candori said. "It just happens to be the one thing we can control."
Candori said the sewage-treatment plants are complying with the DEP mandate and some have stopped accepting oil and gas drilling wastewater altogether.
D'Amico said the restriction is hampering the industry's efforts to explore in the region.
"If disposal through sewage plants is off the table, the problem is, where do you dispose of water from that production?" he said. "If you can't come up with a solution, you've got to shut wells in -- and this is certainly not the time of year to shut in and cut off natural gas production."
He said deep-well disposal is an option in some areas of the country, but in Pennsylvania, the geology prevents that. Deep-well disposal involves pumping the water back into the ground into deep rock formations and sealing them off so they cannot leak into groundwater reservoirs. Pennsylvania's limestone-rich geology is not ideal for deep-well disposal.
Candori suggested some additional alternatives, including storing the water at an industrial facility or taking it to other sewage-treatment plants that do not discharge into the Monongahela.
DEP will continue monitoring the total dissolved solids levels in the Monongahela and will allow sewage-treatment plants to process more wastewater from oil and gas operations once the pollutant levels drop.
Voters approve infrastructure upgrades
Sewage-treatment plants have been on the minds of Pennsylvanians this week, as voters passed a bond issue that would allow the state to borrow $400 million to repair and upgrade water and sewer systems (Greenwire, Nov. 5).
"Pipelines are in some cases leaking nearly as much water as they carry, plants sometimes treat stormwater and sewer water in the same plants, and in some cases, a lot of rain can overwhelm a plant and raw sewage will drain right into the stream," Candori said.
The bond, which passed with more than 60 percent of the vote, will allow the state to borrow money to make those necessary upgrades -- especially in the central part of the state, where federal mandates require the plants to comply with standards for discharge into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The treatment plants in question are not the same ones regulated by DEP for their oil and gas drilling wastewater treatment.
November 7, 2009, New York Post: BEAR-ABLE HUNTING NUMBERS Catskill Bear Hunt Down %40
BEAR-ABLE HUNTING NUMBERS
BEAR hunters in the Adi rondacks have had a much tougher time of it than those who hunt the southern part of New York.
The early season take in the North Country was down by 75 percent from 2007, but the numbers seem to be rebounding for the regular season hunters with the take running about 50 percent greater than last year. If the remainder of the regular season is productive and reporting rates are good, it is suspected we'll see a slightly higher total take.
In the Southern Zone, the bear take in Central and Western N.Y. is about double last year's to date and already exceeds the total archery take of 2007. About a half dozen bears have been reported in the newly expanded bear hunting areas. Bear take in the Catskills is running about 40 percent less than last year.
New Jersey shooters dominated in the National Sporting Clays Championships in San Antonio, Texas.
Anthony Matarese Jr. has become the 20th Sporting Clays National Champion, beating more than 1,400 shooters for the top prize and edging former champion Wendell Cherry by one target.
Diane Sorantino repeated as ladies champion for the second consecutive year, dominating the field through the entire competition. The police chief from Cape May, N.J., out-shot her nearest competitor by 13 targets.
New York's hunters can now report their deer, bear, turkey take via the DEC's new Online Game Harvest Report system by logging onto www.dec.ny.gov and follow the link from the hunting information box on DEC's home page.
Capt. Bob Tuma, one of the pioneers of Montauk charter boat fishing, passed away on Saturday at the age of 85. He was a charter captain for more than 60 years aboard his boat, the Dawn.
November 7, 2008, The Evening Sun: Public sentiment clear at NYRI hearings
Public sentiment clear at NYRI hearings
NORWICH – Area residents gathered in force at the Chenango County Council of the Arts in Norwich to voice their concerns to the Public Service Commission about the proposed 190-mile electric transmission line that they feel threatens their lives, livelihood and, in some cases, their livestock.
Between the two information forums and public statement hearings, more than 50 concerned citizens spoke before the Administrative Law Judges Michelle Phillips and Jeffrey Stockholm.
Some cited facts and figures, others personal stories of the impact the proposed line will have on their families and business. They all spoke with passion and conviction and they all had the same message for the judges assigned to review New York Regional Interconnect’s Article VII application: the NYRI powerline is not needed or wanted in this area.
Village of Sherburne Mayor Bill Acee has been outspoken against the proposed project, which threatens to bisect his community.
“This is a lose-lose scenario for our friends, neighbors and upstate rate payers,” said Acee. “It is the wrong line in the wrong location and the wrong solution to New York’s energy problems.”
Todd Dreyer from the City of Norwich read a letter from Mayor Joseph Maiurano: “It cannot be overstated how devastating the power line would be ... one more nail in the coffin of our already economically depressed area.”
“This is nothing but a selfish corporate power grab designed to bring immense wealth to a few at the expense of many,” Dreyer added.
“I am opposed to this powerline,” said Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, who represents communities along the planned route through his district.
Crouch described contradictory reports from NYRI about the affect of the project on upstate electric prices as “trying to convince someone that snake oil tastes good.” He cautioned that the project could “incur the exodus of manufacturing from this area.”
Crouch quoted industry sources as he criticized the planned route as falling physically short of its goal to provide cheaper power to New York City residents. “There is a 75-mile bottleneck between the terminus and the true demand point,” he said.
Over and over again, speakers criticized the proposed powerline as bad policy and made the claim that the project was profit motivated.
“This is about money. And that money is not for us,” said Hubbardsville resident Lisa Oristian.
“The idea of this foreign company being reimbursed for this hideous intrusion is unconscionable,” said North Norwich resident Sondra Patterson.
“There is nothing environmentally friendly about NYRI,” said Dr. Glenn Stein of Norwich. “The only thing ‘green’ about NYRI is the money they plan to make for their investors, at the expense of all New Yorkers.”
Stein described his experience reading through the NYRI application, which he said was often misleading, and some cases “blatant lies.”
He said that NYRI’s idea of solving downstate energy issues with the powerline were misguided.
“NYRI sees a traffic jam on the Long Island Express Way, and wants to add extra lanes to Route 17 through the Catskills. They see congestion on the FDR and want to widen Route 12 through Norwich,” said Stein.
He compared the project to a kitchen remodel that solved a shortage of outlets with an extension line through the rest of the house, stopping just short of the actual kitchen. The analogy brought a chuckle from Stockholm, but the point was not lost.
“What we don’t need is a 190-mile long extension cord,” concluded Stein.
November 6, 2008, Times Herald Record: Sullivan County Community College To Build Huge Wind Turbine
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LOCH SHELDRAKE — Sullivan County Community College broke ground on Wednesday for construction of an energy-producing wind turbine that will be the first of its kind in the world and could cut the college's electricity bill by half.
Crews will pour a concrete base for the 111-foot-tall, vertical-shaft wind turbine on Thursday, a few dozen yards from the circular road that leads to the college. Vertical-shaft turbines have been used on a small scale, but one this large has never been built, said Sam Ikeda, president of the company that developed the turbine.
When asked if he feared that such a large turbine might falter, Ikeda said, "I'm pretty confident because we have data and we've tested it."
The turbine's 10 blades will require roughly 9 mph of wind to make them turn. Ikeda expects the turbine to produce 1.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power roughly 400 average homes each year. Construction of the wind turbine should be finished by January, and engineers said it will be online by spring.
College students will use the turbine as part of their new green-building and renewable-energy curriculum.
Roughly 150 college officials, local lawmakers and other guests gathered on the college lawn to celebrate the groundbreaking, but the wind turbine hasn't always drawn a happy crowd. One resident, Kenneth Walter, whose mother's house sits roughly 500 feet away, has staunchly opposed the turbine, arguing that its noise would destroy his mom's quality of life.
And the project had created tense moments between the college and county brass. On at least one occasion, college lawmakers were caught skirting public information laws, which prompted a reminder from the county attorney's office. Just hours before the ceremony, some lawmakers wondered if the college wasn't jumping the gun by holding its groundbreaking before the land lease was signed. Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis was expected to sign the lease by late afternoon.
Still, the groundbreaking was jovial and replete with Asian flare to mark Ikeda's Japanese customs. He and college President Mamie Howard-Golladay used a mallet to crack open a wooden keg of sake, an Asian liquor. Dignitaries wore little blue kimonos for the toast.
"Here's to new friends and tremendous electricity," Golladay said.
link to full article is here:
https://recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081106/NEWS/811060315
November 5, 2008, Albany Times Union: Stockbridge-Munsee Sue DOI for Off-Reservation Catskills Casino
Bush administration sued over ruling blocking Native American Catskills casino
The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans has sued the U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and other DOI officials alleging they arbitrarily and capriciously denied the tribe’s application to take land into trust in the Catskills earlier this year.
The tribe contends the DOI made unsupported assumptions in a supposed “guidance” document that imposed new requirements on the location of off-reservation casinos.
The Wisconsin-based tribe lodged its suit was filed in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.
The Tribe first submitted its application to take land into trust in Sullivan County to operate a gaming facility in what it says is its ancestral New York homeland nearly seven years ago.
The tribe has offered to settle its claim to land in Madison and Oneida counties for the rights to develop a casino in the Catskills.
“With the largest projected state deficit in recent memory and an economic collapse not seen since the Depression, our proposal for economic stimulation in the Catskills must be given a fair review, as we are entitled by law,” said Robert Chicks, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Band of Mohican Indians.
Link to article is here:
November 6, 2008, Gadling: Undiscovered New York: Up the Hudson River Valley
Undiscovered New York: Up the Hudson River Valley
Welcome to this week's installment of Undiscovered New York. This week we're going to be heading north, following the path of the Hudson River, one of the great waterways of the Northeastern United States. Many New Yorkers will tell your our city is "the center of the world," and in some ways, they have a good case. But the land bordering the Hudson River up to the capital in Albany has been just as important in shaping New York as the city itself in matters historical, political and cultural.Along the shores of this picturesque valley lie all sorts of fascinating destinations which have shaped New York City, the United States and arguably the world. The Hudson River Valley is home to the mansions of former Presidents and wealthy industrialists, famous enclaves of artists and culinary experts and birthplace of one of our nation's great military schools.
Are you ready to leave the confines of New York City? Come along with Undiscovered New York as we "head up the Hudson."
Stop One: West Point Military AcademyJust fifty miles up the Hudson from New York is West Point, site of the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States and home to around 4,000 cadets. Though the academy was first established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802, the site was founded as a military installation in 1778, when it helped deter British troop movements along the river during the Revolutionary War. Visitors who are interested in checking out the grounds can stop by the Visitor's Center where they can arrange guided tours. There's also one of the world's biggest military museums on site, providing a interesting look at the history of U.S. military.
Stop Two: Storm King Art Center
Next on our tour of the Hudson, is Storm King, an outdoor sculpture gallery set against the backdrop of scenic Mountainville, NY. Nestled among over 500 acres of gorgeous rolling hills are enormous sculptures crafted from famous artists like Alexander Calder and Richard Serra. It's a peaceful place to spend the day strolling the grounds or to bring along a picnic and enjoy the outdoors (OK, yes winter is coming, but you never know with global warming these days).
Stop Three: Hyde ParkAs we move further up the Hudson, we arrive at Hyde Park, a historic New York town that dates back to the 18th Century. It's famous for several great attractions, all within close proximity. Perhaps most renowned is the former home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was born in Hyde Park and spent many years living there during his time as President. In addition to tours inside Roosevelt's home, visitors can also take a look at FDR's Presidential Library with many artifacts from the momentous years of the Great Depression and World War II. Also nearby is the Vanderbilt Mansion, one of the family's many opulent retreats and a monument to Gilded Age excess. Foodies should also make a stop at the Culinary Institute of America, where they can sample world class cuisine from the school's chefs in training.
Stop Four: Woodstock and the Catskills
What trip up the Hudson would be complete without a stop in Woodstock, notorious home of the world's best known music festival and long time hippie enclave? If schlocky tie-dyed t-shirts are not your thing, don't despair - there are plenty of awesome attractions nearby that will make the trip more than worth it. Nature lovers will be pleased to find the Catskills are just minutes away. It's a gorgeous unspoiled wilderness where you can take in the scenery and perhaps check out the Buddhist Monastery that sits at the top of one of the area's many hills. Make sure to finish your day at The Bear Cafe - the food is absolutely outstanding.
Filed under: Arts and Culture,
link is here:
http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/06/undiscovered-new-york-up-the-hudson-river-valley/print/
Catskills Geology
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Valley and Ridge ProvinceThe erosional characteristics of the sedimentary rock formations exposed along great anticlines and synclines of the Appalachian Mountains are responsible for the characteristic Valley and Ridge topography. Durable layers of sandstone and conglomerate form ridges, whereas less resistant limestone and shale underlie the valleys in the region. Along the eastern margin of the Valley and Ridge is the Great Valley, a broad valley underlain by Cambrian and Ordovician shale and carbonate rocks that weather and erode faster that more durable sandstone and conglomerate that crop out in ridges and plateaus to the west (see Figure 52). It extends southward from the Adirondack Mountains region, encompassing the upper Hudson River Valley between the Taconic Mountains (to the east) and the Catskills (to the west). It gradually bends westward into northern New Jersey, forming a broad, low valley broken by long, low ridges. It is bordered by the Highlands of the Reading Prong on the south and east, and the high ridge of Kittatinny Mountain to the west. In New Jersey and western Pennsylvania, Kittatinny Mountain represents the eastern-most hogback ridge of Middle Paleozoic rocks of the Valley and Ridge. North of New Jersey the characteristic folds of the Valley and Ridge fade into the nearly flat-lying strata of the Catskills region and the Allegheny Plateau region of western New York and Pennsylvania. In the New York Bight region, the Allegheny Plateau and the Catskill Mountains of Pennsylvanian and New York are the northern extension of the greater Appalachian Plateau.
Precambrian age (Grenvillian) crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks form the basement beneath the sedimentary rocks of the plateau regions and the Valley and Ridge Province. In general, the Paleozoic sedimentary cover above the Precambrian basement increases in thickness from several kilometers in the midcontinent region to nearly a dozen kilometers in portions of the Appalachian Basin region. Throughout Paleozoic time, the Appalachian Basin region was the site of accumulation of vast quantities of sediment derived from uplifts created by the Taconic Orogeny (Late Ordovician), the Acadian Orogeny (Late Devonian), and Alleghenian Orogeny (Late Mississippian to Permian). These three mountain building intervals each left a progressive tectonic impression on the rocks of the New York Bight region and beyond (generalized illustration of these events is shown in Figure 53). Between and following these mountain building episodes were extensive quiescent periods when weathering and erosion stripped away most topographic relief, allowing shallow marine seaways to episodically invade portions of the landscape in the New York Bight region. This is demonstrated by the thick sequence of sedimentary rock formations which crop out through the region extending from the Hudson Valley into the Appalachian Basin (including the Catskills, the Green Pond Outlier, and the Valley and Ridge regions [Figure 54]).
Aftermath of the Taconic Orogeny As the Taconic Orogeny subsided in early Silurian time, uplifts and folds in the Hudson Valley region were beveled by erosion. Upon this surface sediments began to accumulate, derived from remaining uplifts in the New England region. The evidence for this is the Silurian Shawangunk Conglomerate, a massive, ridge-forming quartz sandstone and conglomerate formation, which rests unconformably on a surface of older gently- to steeply-dipping pre-Silurian age strata throughout the region. This ridge of Shawangunk Conglomerate extends southward from the Hudson Valley along the eastern front of the Catskills. It forms the impressive caprock ridge of the Shawangunk Mountains west of New Paltz, New York. To the south and west it becomes the prominent ridge-forming unit that crops out along the crest of Kittatinny Mountain in New Jersey. Through Silurian time, the deposition of coarse alluvial sediments gave way to shallow marine fine-grained muds, and eventually to clear-water carbonate sediment accumulation with reefs formed from the accumulation of calcareous algae and the skeletal remains of coral, stromatoporoids, brachiopods, and other ancient marine fauna. The episodic eustatic rise and fall of sea level caused depositional environments to change or to shift laterally. As a result, the preserved faunal remains, and the character and composition of the sedimentary layers deposited in any particular location varied through time. The textural or compositional variations of the strata, as well as the changing fossil fauna preserved, are used to define the numerous sedimentary formations of Silurian through Devonian age preserved throughout the region. The Acadian Orogeny Uplifts and volcanic centers formed during the Acadian Orogeny in the New England Region shed fine-grained clastic material into an expansive inland seaway that covered most of the southern and central Appalachian region and much of the midcontinent during Middle Devonian time. As the Acadian Orogeny progressed, greater quantities of coarser clastic sediments migrated into shallow sea, building an extensive alluvial plain along the eastern margin of the seaway. The Catskills region was proximal to the Acadian Highlands, and therefore was the site of the greatest accumulation of sediment in the region. (The boundary between the two geologic regions is a line approximating the location of the modern Hudson River; the Acadian Highlands was to the east.) To the west, the marine strand line migrated back and forth through time as the supply of sediments fluctuated and as sea level rose and fell. Sediments of Late Devonian age accumulated as a sedimentary wedge to as much as 7,000 feet in the Catskills region; these sedimentary deposits are thickest in the east and grow progressively thinner westward and southward into the central Appalachian Basin region. Massive accumulations of conglomerate and sandstone exposed along the eastern edge of the Catskills plateau led to an early interpretation that the Catskills formed as a great delta-type deposit, similar to the modern greater Mississippi Delta. However, complexities in the sequence of the sedimentary formations throughout the greater Catskills have been revealed from more recent geological investigations. A new perspective of the Catskills sedimentary sequence is model of fluctuating shorelines and prograding alluvial environments along the western margin of the Acadian upland. Farther to the west massive quantities of organic-rich mud accumulated in a deeper restricted seaway basin. These organic-rich mud deposits represent the oil and gas shales that are abundant throughout Appalachian Basin and the Ohio Valley regions. The pattern and extent of Devonian age outcrops that exist in the New York Bight region provide information about even more extensive Devonian age deposits that existed in the past. The eastern edge of outcrop belt of Late Devonian rock shown in Figure 52 roughly outlines the extent of Catskills. The southern extent of the Devonian outcrop belt is part of the folded strata along the western Delaware River valley along the New Jersey-/Pennsylvania border. Devonian sedimentary rocks also crop out closer to New York City in the Green Pond Outlier, a complex synclinal trough that trends northeastward through the heart of the Highlands region in northern New Jersey and southern New York. Based on the occurrence of marine sedimentary units in the Green Pond Outlier it can be assumed that Devonian sedimentary units were continuous across much of the New York Bight region prior to the Acadian Orogeny. Devonian sedimentary rocks are also preserved in a complex synclinal area in northeastern Connecticut and extending northward into central Massachusetts. Igneous intrusions of Late Devonian age occur in small portions of Westchester County, New York (the Peekskill Granite just east of Peekskill, and the Bedford Augen Gneiss which crops out along the New York/Connecticut Boarder near the Mianus River Gorge). Several massive intrusions of Devonian age occur in the central Western Connecticut Uplands. Some of these intrusions may have contributed to episodes of volcanism in the region. Regional metamorphism during the Acadian Orogeny affected the rocks throughout New England, including the bedrock of the New York City area. Heating and annealing during metamorphism "reset" the geologic ages of most older rocks in the eastern Highlands Province (including the rocks throughout Manhattan and the Bronx) to Late Devonian age. The influence of regional metamorphism associated with the Acadian Orogeny diminishes significantly west of the Hudson River The Acadian Orogeny lasted from Late Devonian into early Mississippian time. This is inferred, in part, by the abundance of igneous intrusions of these ages throughout the Appalachian region. By Late Mississippian time, mountain building in throughout Appalachian region had drastically subsided. This can be inferred from the extensive sequence of marine limestones formed from clear water marine sedimentation preserved as strata of late Early Mississippian age (Meramecian, around 350 million years ago) throughout the western Appalachian Basin region and the midcontinent. By the end of Mississippian time, mountain building was once again proceeding. This is represented in the sedimentary record as the flood of clastic material preserved in association with the Pennsylvanian coal measures throughout the Appalachian Basin region. These coal measures formed in association with alluvial flood plains and inland coastal swamplands that developed along the western margin that of the Appalachian Mountains and in Late Paleozoic sedimentary basin throughout the midcontinent. The Alleghenian Orogeny During late Paleozoic time the ancient Iapetus Ocean (also called Proto-Atlantic Ocean) continued to vanish as the North America continent (Laurentia) collided with Africa (which was part of a larger collection of continents called Gondwanaland). During this time all of the Earth's continents were coalescing to form a single, great supercontinent, Pangaea (beginning roughly 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Period [see Figures 8, 53C, and 83]). In eastern North America the formation of Pangaea corresponded to the Alleghenian Orogeny, the mountain-building episode associated with the formation of great folds and thrust faults throughout the central Appalachian Mountains region. As the continents collided, the rock material trapped in-between was crushed and forced upward into a great mountain range, probably similar in size and character of the modern Alps. With nowhere to go, rocks along the eastern margin of the North American continent were shoved far inland (the same occured in the opposite direction along the margin of the African continent, forming the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and the western Sahara). The sedimentary rock in the eastern Appalachian Basin region was squeezed into great folds that ran perpendicular to the direction of forces. The greatest amount of deformation associated with the Alleghenian orogeny occurred in the Southern Appalachians (North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). In that region a series of great fault developed in addition to the folds. As the two continents collided, large belts of rock bounded by thrust faults piled one on top another, shortening of the crust along the eastern edge of North America in the North Carolina and Tennesee region by as much as 200 miles. The relative amount of deformation gradually diminishes northward. The fold belt extends northward through Pennsylvania and gradually peters in the vicinity of the New York border. The Kittatinny Mountains in northwestern New Jersey mark the northeastern-most extension of the high ridges of the Valley and Ridge Province. The influence of Alleghenian deformation on the regions east of the Valley and Ridge Province must have be even more intense, however, there is little evidence preserved. Rocks of Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, and Permian age are missing in the New York Bight region. A great unconformity beneath the Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Newark Basin series represents an extensive period of erosion of uplifted rocks and sediments during and after the Alleghenian Orogeny. In the New York Bight region, this unconformable surface is flooded beneath the lower Hudson River below the Palisades, and in New Jersey it is covered by younger sediments of the Coastal Plain. Field Trips Destinations in New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania: Hudson River Valley Region The Shawangunk Mountains, New York The Green Pond Outlier, New York and New Jersey Kittatinny Mountain, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Maintainer: WESP team webmaster contact FOIA || Privacy Statement || Disclaimer || Accessibility URL: http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/nyc/valleyandridge/valleyandridge.htm This site last updated July 22, 2003 (ps) |
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Catskills Geology
THE CATSKILLS
Devonian conglomerate crops out along the ridge top of the east-facing Catskill front in North Lake State Park (near Tannersville, NY).
Uplift from the Acadian Orogeny in the New England Region resulted in the erosion and deposition of large quantities of sediments into a fluctuating shallow sea that covered most of eastern North America during Devonian time. The Catskills region was proximal to the Acadian Highlands, and therefore received a vast supply of sediments. (The boundary between the two geologic regions is a line approximating the location of the modern Hudson River; the Acadian Highlands was to the east. To the west was an alluvial plain that grew and shrank with the rise and fall of sea level.) Sediments of Devonian age accumulated as a sedimentary wedge to as much as 10,000 feet in the Catskills region; these sedimentary deposits are thickest in the east and grow progressively thinner westward and southward. Massive accumulations of conglomerate and sandstone exposed along the eastern edge of the Catskills plateau led to an early interpretation that the Catskills formed as a great delta-type deposit, similar to the modern greater Mississippi Delta. However, complexities in the sequence of the sedimentary formations throughout the greater Catskills have been revealed from more recent geological investigations. A new perspective of the Catskills sedimentary sequence is model of fluctuating shorelines and prograding alluvial environments along the western margin of the Acadian upland. Farther to the west massive quanities of organic-rich mud accumulated in a deeper restricted seaway basin. Today, these organic-rich deposits represent the oil and gas shales that are abundant throught the Appalachian basins and plateaus of the Ohio Valley region.
Today the Catskills are an erosionally-dissected plateau. Like the entire New England region it displays the effects of Pleistocene continental glaciation. The outcrop belt of Devonian rock in map below 2 roughly outlines the extent of Catskills. The southern extent of the Devonian outcrop belt is part of the folded strata along the Delaware River valley along the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. Devonian sedimentary rocks also crop out closer to New York City in the Green Pond Outlier, a large syncline in northern New Jersey and southern New York containing middle and upper sedimentary Devonian rocks. Devonian sedimentary rocks are also preserved in a complex geologic area in northeastern Connecticut and extending northward into central Massachusetts.
Upper Paleozoic rocks of the Catskills and Valley and Ridge Province. Image generated from Portrait USA CD-ROM with permission from the American Geological Institute, Joint Educational Initiative Group.
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Writers and Webmeisters:
Phil Stoffer and Paula Messina
CUNY, Earth & Environmental Science, Ph.D. ProgramHunter College, Department of Geography
Brooklyn College, Department of Geology
In cooperation with
Gateway National Recreational Area
U.S. National Park Service
Copyright May, 1996 (All rights reserved; use as an educational resource encouraged.)>
November 2, 2009, Mid Hudson News: Home Sales Rebound in Hudson Valley and Catskills
Home sales rebound
HUDSON VALLEY-CATSKILLS – Sales of existing single-family homes in the Hudson Valley and Catskills have made somewhat of a comeback.
While most, if not all, counties faces losses for the past several months, a number saw increased sales in September 2008 when compared to the same month last year, according to the New York State Association of Realtors.
While there continued to be negative sales numbers, counties like Columbia, Putnam, and Rockland saw increases.
Existing home sales grew by 17 percent in Columbia County, by almost 12 percent in Putnam County and by almost 10 percent in Rockland County. Sales rose by almost four percent in Greene County and they eked up by one percent in Ulster County.
Sales of existing homes fell by 44 percent in Delaware County, by 23 percent in Sullivan County, by 18 percent in Westchester County and by 15 percent in Orange County.
Statewide, home sales year over year in September fell by four percent.
Westchester County continued to have the highest median priced homes sold at $635,000. Delaware County had the lowest at $120,000.
Homes sold in Columbia County for $230,000, for $297,250 in Dutchess, for $275,750 in Orange, for $340,000 in Putnam, for $450,000 in Rockland, and for $240,000 in Ulster.link to full article is here:
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/November08/02/Home_sales-02Nov08.htm
