“This is the furthest thing from economic development. The list of
projects for the Mid-Hudson Region is tremendous: attracting commercial
and residential improvement, renovating historical sites, and creating
jobs. Then, there’s a grant to bail KJ out for violations against its
pollution permit.…Any other municipality that faces environmental
violations is on the hook to fix the problem. The same clearly doesn’t
apply to Kiryas Joel – state taxpayers are footing their bill yet again."
Kiryas Joel Given Sweetheart Grant To Pay For Pollution Cleanup, Assemblyman-Elect Alleges
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The Hudson Valley Insider reports that Assemblyman-Elect James Skoufis blasted a $594,000 state economic grant given to the Satmar hasidic village of Kiryas Joel.
The terms of the grant reportedly state that the funds are supposed to be used to “undertake improvements to [Kiryas Joel's] waste water treatment plant to correct conditions resulting in violations of its State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit.”
“This is the furthest thing from economic development. The list of projects for the Mid-Hudson Region is tremendous: attracting commercial and residential improvement, renovating historical sites, and creating jobs. Then, there’s a grant to bail KJ out for violations against its pollution permit.…Any other municipality that faces environmental violations is on the hook to fix the problem. The same clearly doesn’t apply to Kiryas Joel – state taxpayers are footing their bill yet again,” Skoufis told the Insider. He also promised to continue to investigate how the state’s Economic Development Council could have justified the grant.