Casino closer to opening

Federal agency finishes review of documents

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Supporters of a casino in the Catskills are a step closer to being able to belly up to a black jack table.

On Tuesday, September 12, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) opened a 30-day public comment period on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed St. Regis Mohawk casino at Monticello Raceway. Nedra Darling, a spokeswoman for the BIA, said the agency finished its assessment review on September 7, and if no new information requiring further analysis is presented, the agency will be in a position to approve the application before the end of the year.

Approval would mean that the BIA would take into trust for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe 30 acres of land at the racetrack on which the casino would be built.

The project would still require the approval of Governor George Pataki, but his spokesperson Greg Allen said in May that the governor supports the casino. Allen wrote to the BIA at the time, “I respectfully urge the BIA to expedite its review process and promptly notify this office once the potential environmental impacts have been satisfactorily addressed.”

Should approval be delayed until after January 2007, Attorney General Elliot Spitzer, who will likely be the next governor of New York, has said in the past he would approve the casino.

John Faso, Spitzer’s likely Republican opponent, has said he is opposed to the operations of casinos in New York by out-of-state tribes.

The environment assessment will be available for public review at the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello and at the clerk’s office in the Village of Monticello.

Casino opponents were quick to lash out against the decision by the BIA to forgo what they call a full environmental review. The environmental assessment from the tribe dates back to 2000, and according to the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), an assessment is not as sweeping as a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is called for under the agency’s own determination. A spokesman for the NRDC also questioned whether the 30-day public comment period was sufficient.

“If this decision stands, officials in Washington would limit the voice of Sullivan County citizens in decisions that could change the entire way of life in their communities,” said Richard Schrader, NRDC’s New York State legislative director.

Darling said information might be submitted that would require the BIA to prepare a full EIS. She said the information was being accepted by the agency only in written form and that no public hearings on the matter are scheduled.

Plans for the half-billion-dollar casino include 766,000 square feet of floor area, a 600-seat theater and a parking lot for 4,800 cars and buses. Nearly six million visitors a year are expected.