NEWBURGH – The runways at New York Stewart International Airport near Newburgh were shut down for about an hour Friday night because of drone activity in the airspace and Governor Kathy Hochul is furious. “This has gone too far,” she said Saturday.
Stewart is a commercial, corporate and general aviation airport, but also home to a major New York Air National Guard base that is shared by the Marine Corps Reserves.
In mid-November, the governor directed the state’s intelligence center to investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address the issue.
“I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization act,” she said. “This bill would reform legal authorities to counter-UAS and strengthen the FAA oversight of drones, and would extend counter-UAS activities to select state and local law enforcement agencies.”
She said extending those powers to New York and its peers is essential. “Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people,” the governor said.
Source: Mid-Hudson News
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