NRDC Blog: Off-reservation casino not so great for the Catskills

"In a surprise announcement yesterday, Governor Paterson said he is poised to make a deal with the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe of Wisconsin that would allow them to build a gargantuan casino complex directly along a one-mile stretch of the Neversink River, in exchange for dropping some pending legal claims involving disputed land in upstate Madison County.

The proposed 333-acre site is located roughly 90 miles northwest of New York City in the Catskill Mountains, which encompasses the 700,000 acre Catskill Park and reservoirs that supply half the state’s drinking water every day (that’s 9 million New Yorkers, including all of NYC). Building this casino would undoubtedly bring significant negative environmental impacts to area, including a dramatic spike in traffic, increased air pollution, runoff into the Neversink River and new threats to our clean drinking water.

From reading initial news reports, one would think it’s too late and the dice would be rolling at this new Catskill casino by New Year’s Day. But fortunately Governor Paterson cannot legally pull a fast one on us that easily. By proposing to build this mega-casino on a pristine, historic river, the Governor is virtually inviting litigation on environmental and land use grounds. And there at least three significant legal requirements the Tribe and its development partner, Trading Cove, would still have to meet if they hope to open this gambling casino in the Catskills.

First, any final proposal would need to undergo a new and thorough environmental review under federal law. Specifically, under the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. government must prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for all “major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality” of the environment. In the tribe’s most recent proposal unveiled a few years ago, they sought to build a complex that would include a 580,000 square foot casino, a 750-room hotel, and 9,500 parking spaces at this same Neversink River site. The casino would have drawn roughly six million visitors a year, which is 40 percent more than the number of people who visit the Grand Canyon National Park every year. "

Get the Story:
Switchboard: A New Catskill Casino? Not So Fast Governor Paterson (National Resources Defense Council 11/17)

Related Stories:
Stockbridge Munsee Band reaches deal for casino in New York (11/17)