New York City Department of Parks & Recreation  [Printer-friendly version]
July 8, 2009

PRALLS ISLAND HARBOR HERONS PRESERVE

[Editor's introduction: Just yards downwind from the proposed PurGen
coal plant lies a 74-acre wildlife refuge called Pralls Island, in
the middle of the Arthur Kill waterway. The estimated 5 million
pounds of air pollutants released each year by PurGen One -- and the
gigantic burning flare that the plant will inevitably throw up from
time to time -- seems certain to ruin Pralls Island as a wildlife
refuge. IGCC coal plants (like Purgen One) turn coal into "Syngas,"
which they burn inside a chamber. But if something goes wrong and the
gas doesn't meet specifications, they "flare it" -- creating a
gigantic flame. As Duke Energy says in describing flaring at its
IGCC plant being built in Indiana: "The flare is a way of burning off
the gas produced by the coal gasification process when the operation
of the generating equipment is interrupted or if the gas is out of
specification. The size and scale of this flare is very large. At
times, when it is necessary to burn the flare, large quantities of
light and heat will be created. Although the light may be very
bright, especially at night, facility managers will do everything
they can to prepare the community for these occasional events." But
how will they prepare the wildlife? -- Peter Montague
(peter@rachel.org)]

By New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

Borough: Staten Island

Acres: 74

Habitat Type: Salt Marsh

Official Map: PDF

[This better map, from the Federal Aviation Administration, shows
the relationship of the proposed Purgen One coal plant (the red X) to
Prall's Island just to the east in the middle of the Arthur Kill.--
P.M.]

The isolation of Prall's Island makes it an ideal protected habitat
for nesting wading birds. During the late 1970s, development ideas
were proposed for the island. However, bird watchers had begun to
recognize the significance of Prall's Island as a bird sanctuary.
After a number of herons were seen on the island, further studies
revealed that several species of birds, including egrets and ibis,
were breeding in the area. These discoveries put an end to any
discussion of developing the island. Along with Shooters Island and
the Isle of Meadows, Prall's Island is part of the Harbor Heron's
Wildlife Refuge.

The island was assigned to Parks by the Department of General Services
in 1984, to be preserved as a wildlife refuge. The New York Audubon
Society has a 30-year lease, which dates back to 1985, which allows
the use of Prall's Island for educational and scientific purposes. A
study of avian life is being conducted by the Audubon Society and the
Manomet Observatory in Massachusetts. Scientists are monitoring
nesting sites and studying the habits and diets of migratory birds.
The Audubon Society has documented 400 pairs of nesting birds on the
island.

Without a stable nesting area, birds such as the little blue heron
(Egretta caerulea), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax),
and yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) would not thrive
in the New York Harbor. A 1995 survey by the New York City Audubon
Society documented that the harbor herons area supported 57% of the
state's cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), 21% of the state's great egrets
(Ardea albus), 28% of the state's snowy egrets (Egretta thula), 57% of
the state's black-crowned night herons, and 35% of the state's glossy
Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

Pralls Island Preserve is not currently accessible to the public.

Dial 311 for all Parks & Recreation information, outside of NYC call
212-NEW-YORK

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