TIMELINE: Summary of Scenic Hudson's Involvement in Stewart International Airport
1989 - Present
1989
Scenic Hudson joined a coalition including Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition, Sierra Club, Orange Environment, and the Hudson River Fishermen's Association to force DOT to comply with SEQRA. Previously DOT issued a negative declaration, meaning an environmental impact statement would not be necessary. Scenic Hudson was concerned about the cumulative and growth-inducing impacts of the airport expansion: noise, air quality impacts, sprawl, and the development of buffer lands.
Fall 1991
Scenic Hudson reviewed and commented on the master plan delivering testimony at public hearings.
January 1993
Scenic Hudson (with the Environmental Defense Fund) filed suit against EPA in the U.S. Court of Appeals challenging EPA's request to remove Orange & Putnam Counties from the list of the NYC Metro Area region. The removal would have reduced the air quality requirements for these areas, which would have included Stewart International Airport (SWF).
Spring 1993
Scenic Hudson issued a report on the impacts of airport growth.
Fall 1993
Scenic Hudson sponsored a day-long airport conference focused on managing growth around airports.
1997
Empire State Development Corporation issued a RFP for development of SWF's noise buffer lands. Scenic Hudson ramped up campaign to protect the buffer lands from big-box and warehouse development.
1997
Scenic Hudson and Wildlife Conservation Society released a report revealing the ecological value of the buffer lands that affect the entire Mid-Hudson region.
1998
Governor Pataki announced the privatization of SWF, and National Express Group (NEG) was chosen as the airport operator.
1998
Scenic Hudson's advocacy resulted in creation of Stewart State Forest, preserving 6,200 acres of land (transferred from the DOT to the DEC).
November 2007
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey purchases lease from NEG to operate SWF.
2008
The Citizen's Advisory Panel is established by the Port Authority as a result of Scenic Hudson and other concerned citizen groups' advocacy. Steve Rosenberg represents Scenic Hudson on this influential group.
2008
MTA West of Hudson Regional Transit Access Study and Orange County Newburgh Area Transportation and Land Use Study begin
November 2008
Scenic Hudson hires Chuck Houghton
Executive Director of the Missouri-Illinois Bi-State Development Agency, the equivalent of the Port Authority for the St. Louis Metro area to work with the Port Authority and other groups interested in the development of Stewart.
December 2008
Bill DeCota, Director of Aviation for the Port Authority announces SWF will be modeled after Albany International Airport in regards to its scale of passengers.
2009
Passenger statistics at SWF drop from approximately 800,000 to 400,000 primarily as a result of the economic crisis.
2009
Port Authority Sustainability study begins.
June 2009
Ground broken to build Access to the Region's Core, a rail project to increase passenger capacity and the first underground rail connection between the west of Hudson and Manhattan since 1911.
June 2009
Scenic Hudson, Environmental Defense Fund, Regional Plan Association, Pattern for Progress, Open Space Institute and the Trust for Public Land form a strategic partnership to respond to Lower Hudson Valley Smart Growth grant
2009
Scenic Hudson launches webpage that features a repository of documents and links to breaking news
