Poletti Lights Go Out, Vallone Hails Victory

By KAITLYN KILMETIS

Nearly a decade after community activists filed a lawsuit calling for the close of Charles Poletti Power Plant, one of the city’s most polluted power plants permanently halted operation on Jan. 31.

The 885-megawatt Astoria plant’s closing was the result of a settlement reached in 2002 between the New York Power Authority and the two environmental organizations who initiated the lawsuit, CHOKE (Citizens Helping to Organize for a Kleaner Environment) and the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), who served as the pro bono council to CHOKE prior to taking office, said he was thrilled to see the plant close as stipulated in the 2002 agreement.

“We were extremely happy to get the settlement but still not entirely convinced that they would actually live up to their obligation and close the plant eight years later because this is New York State were talking about,” Vallone said. “For Richard Kessel, the new NYPA chairman, to honor the commitment was really a great day for Astoria.”

Vallone also added that Kessel assured him he would not build a new power plant at the location.

Although Vallone said the plant’s close was gratifying, he expressed that there are a number of other power-creation problems throughout Northwest Queens. v “We provide probably 85 percent of the power for the entire city, which is just outrageous for one neighborhood to bear that burden,” he said.

Vallone said he questioned Mayor Mike Bloomberg about why all boroughs are not expected to take on an equal portion of power production when the Mayor emphasized the need for shared responsibility in regard to the citywide Waste Transfer Plan.

“I said to him how come when it comes to power generation he no longer believes in fair share but he believes that Astoria should shoulder the burden for the entire city,” Vallone said. “He really had no answer for that, nor does anyone else.”

In a statement about the plant’s closing, the Mayor said, “the decision to close the power plant at Poletti paved the way for the construction of a new, much more efficient plant that came into service in late 2005, which has helped bring Astoria and the rest of the City one step closer to achieving the ambitious goals in PlaNYC, our long term vision for a greener, greater New York.” v Vallone said he continues to fight against power plants in the area. He believes a contract between Astoria Energy and NYPA, that has resulted in the building of yet another Northwest Queen power plant, was obtained illegally. He is urging the Attorney General to investigate the matter but up to this point has been unsuccessful.

“This is a huge victory but the fight continues,” Vallone said.

Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis at kkilmetis@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.