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Kingston, NY - U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today responded to the news that the St. Regis Mohawk tribe's plan to develop a casino on the site of the Monticello Raceway has cleared a critical review by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Hinchey today received a copy of the Interior Department's issuance of a "finding of no significant impact," (FONSI), the agency's indication that the development of a casino on that site would not place an undue burden on the environment or the community. Hinchey recently called Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to urge him to move forward with releasing the FONSI determination, after the environmental review process appeared to have been stalled.
Although important, the issuance of the FONSI is not the final approval needed to bring gaming to the Catskills. Governor Pataki must now sign off on a concurrence of the FONSI, followed by the Department of Interior's agreement to take the Monticello property into trust for the tribe for a Class III casino.
Hinchey has repeatedly encouraged the approval of the St. Regis Mohawks' casino, which would be sited on a property that currently hosts commercial gaming, has been thoroughly vetted during a lengthy and public review process, and would cause the least disruption to the community. He strongly opposed an earlier New York State legislative proposal that would have allowed five casinos in the region.
Hinchey reacted to today's news:
"I have long supported this proposal because I believe that it's the best way to bring the economic benefits of gaming to the Catskills -- thousands of construction jobs, thousands of permanent jobs for casino operation, and the revitalization of the region's tourism industry -- without sacrificing the quality of life for the residents of Sullivan County. The opening of one casino, on a property that has already been developed for such purposes, operated by a tribe that has already made agreements with local government to mitigate any financial strain such development would cause, will give residents the opportunity to determine whether they want this kind of development and whether their communities can absorb the impact of additional casinos.
"The issuance of the FONSI for the St. Regis Mohawks casino proposal is a very encouraging and critical step in the process of bringing Indian gaming to the Catskills, but there is more work to be done. I strongly urge Governor Pataki to issue the required written concurrence on the Department of Interior's FONSI. Following that concurrence, I strongly urge Secretary Kempthorne to move forward expeditiously in taking these lands into trust for the Mohawk casino."
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