Environmental group to host forum on casinos

Goshen —Orange Environment will hold an informational forum on casinos at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, 240 Main St., Goshen. The forum will focus on casinos that may come into this area. Developers have their eyes on Monticello Raceway as the potential site of a massive Las Vegas-style casino resort that they say will attract millions of visitors annually and solve the region’s economic woes. But local environmentalists say the Monticello Raceway casino — or any other casino — would instead exacerbate the region’s traffic and air pollution problems and may also cause unchecked growth in Sullivan and Orange counties that would put the environment at risk. Several experts on the environment will answer questions about the possible effects of such a big casino on housing, emergency services, and natural resources. Our hearing will give us a chance to hear the latest on: A new study by Sam Schwartz LLC on how traffic will increase will be released at the forum. Schwartz’s preliminary findings show that Route 17 and other key roadways will be severely affected by the opening of even one casino. The forum will also lack what environmentalists say is the lack of proper environmental review in such cases. The federal government has yet to determine whether the Monticello project must undergo full environmental review. An attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council will explain environmental law as it pertains to Monticello Raceway. “And remember, the more Orange County residents at this informational session, the more our representatives will take notice,” said Michael R. Edelstein, president of Orange Environment. Anyone interested in attending should call Orange Environment at 294-5852 or the Natural Resources Defense Council at 212-203-2921 by March 10.