Rep. Ritchie Torres Strikes Deal to Keep Proposed
City Limits
By: Liz Donovan
For the past several months, South Bronx residents have been bristling at a proposal that would build a high-voltage converter station in their neighborhood—what the project’s leaders say would bring renewable resources to New York City, but which community members felt would mean risking their health in the name of green energy.
On Wednesday U.S. House Representative Ritchie Torres, who represents the pollution-plagued Bronx district, announced he had stepped in and negotiated a compromise, getting the project’s leaders to agree to build the converter in a non-residential area if it’s ultimately approved by the state.
A representative for the companies behind the proposal confirmed to City Limits that they’ve since agreed to revise the plans in response to the community opposition, and if the project is approved, would build the converter in an industrial area outside of the Bronx.
