Coast Guard to pause the potential anchoring of barges in the Hudson River Valley

Elected leaders and environmental advocates throughout the Hudson River Valley are cheering a move by the Coast Guard to pause the potential anchoring of barges on the waterway. Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan of New York’s 18^th Congressional district says the Coast Guard has issued a new Marine Safety Information Bulletin in response to local pushback. Ryan wrote the Coast Guard earlier this year raising concern about the administrative change that raised fears among upstate localities and environmentalists. Ryan and others warned barges carrying hazardous materials could now be parked indefinitely on the Hudson. Elected leaders and environmental organizations are calling for a permanent anchoring ban.