Albany, NY – In a formal letter to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos, Senator James Skoufis, Chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Investigations & Government Operations, called for swift action to address longstanding permit issues at the CPV Valley Energy Center in Orange County. Senator Skoufis initiated an investigation in September 2023 into the DEC’s air permitting process for the Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) facility, uncovering delays and regulatory inconsistencies that, he contends, have placed the plant in non-compliance with its required Title V operating permit for over six years.
“The inquiry found troubling patterns of regulatory shortcomings and imprudent influence by the Executive branch as part of the development of CPV Valley,” Skoufis wrote, pointing to delays dating back to CPV’s initial application in August 2018. The investigation highlighted that despite the plant operating under court order since 2018, the DEC has yet to complete the permit review process.
Senator Skoufis urged the DEC to issue CPV Valley a 60-day deadline to submit any remaining supplemental information required to complete their Title V permit application. Depending on the adequacy of CPV’s response, Skoufis recommended that the DEC should either proceed to a hearing and finalize the permit application or declare it withdrawn.
He emphasized the need for decisive action from the DEC, stating, “The undue delays and general inactivity preventing a final administrative resolution to CPV Valley’s Title V application are unacceptable and fall squarely on the shoulders of NYSDEC to remedy. Therefore, the Department must expeditiously bring this matter to a close in order to deliver meaningful assurance to local residents that CPV Valley is properly permitted and regulated.”
With this call for action, Senator Skoufis seeks to ensure transparency and accountability in the regulatory process, stressing that New York residents deserve clear and responsible oversight of industrial facilities impacting local air quality and public health.