The environmental group Riverkeeper has filed a lawsuit challenging the state's approval to restart an idled power plant on the Hudson River with natural gas instead of coal.
The petition filed in state Supreme Court in Albany seeks a halt to resumption of operations at the 500-megawatt Danskammer power plant in Newburgh pending the outcome of the lawsuit. Riverkeeper argues that the state Public Service Commission violated state law because it failed to require a full environmental review before authorizing the reactivation.
The old coal-fired plant was shut down in November 2012 after being damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The owners say they will create at least 50 new jobs, cut local electricity costs and reduce emissions.
Riverkeeper argues that the plant's cooling system kills large numbers of fish.
