Hurricane Sandy damaged quite a bit of homes and facilities when she tore through New York. Among the facilities the storm damaged was the Danskammer power plant located near Poughkeepsie. Due to the amount of water that thrashed the area, the plant was nearly destroyed resulting in its owners declaring bankruptcy and seeking to sell the facility for scrap. Danskammer now has new owners and they wish to reactivate it as a natural gas-fired plant.

Natural gas is one of the green power sources environmentalists advocate to replace carbon-based fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Yet, according to local media, despite the fact that environmentalists admit Danskammer would emit less pollution, the local gang green club Riverkeeper is suing to halt the plant’s opening citing the facilty’s environmental impacts and the lack of a more comprehensive environmental review. The group states that because Danskammer uses water from the Hudson River its process could kill fish.

You cannot make this stuff up. Here is a rebuilt power plant that uses natural gas rather than coal as its fuel (which was Danskammer’s original power source), Riverkeeper even admits the plant will pollute less but still wants to force a more comprehensive review. The attorney for Riverkeepers claims process matters in the debate. That is really green-speak for: We hate power plants and will shut this one down. Your power needs be damned.