Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007
Federal approval of casino is not imminent, says BIA
Washington – Don’t expect federal approval of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe casino at Monticello Raceway any time soon. Bureau of Indian Affairs spokeswoman Nedra Darling told MidHudsonNews.com Wednesday that they are awaiting the receipt of the governor’s concurrence. “We will review it once we get it.” As far as timing of any decision, that is not imminent, said Darling, because of the lawsuit filed last week by the National Resources Defense Council and co-plaintiffs, which argues that a more detailed environmental review is needed before the BIA makes any decision on the project. The lawsuit is there and we don’t know at this point where the timing for the litigation is going to happen,” Darling said. Meanwhile, Empire Resorts' Vice President Charles Degliomini said that importantly for Governor Spitzer, Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Maurice Hinchey and a number of local officials and community members, "timing is indeed imminent and they have signaled their full support in addressing the need to have the Interior Department rapidly finalize the process." Degliomini was also critical of the Natural Resources Defense Council "that has fought against some very important worldwide and national problems like global warming and nuclear nonproliferation has ginned up some co-plaintiffs (who have more cows than members) to interfere in a very local matter in a cynical attempt to rob Sullivan County and a Native American Tribe of realizing their longtime dream of economic rebirth." He said, "Many are troubled as to why they are really doing this. The lawsuit's odds of success in bringing about anything other than nonsense and noise are about the same as lighting striking twice in a row at the Catskill country homes of the New York City elite -- who may be the NRDC's real local constituency in this matter. http://www.catskillsnews.com/News/casino_BIA-22Feb07.html