New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, 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.

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