The View from Olana
Late last year, when the state ordered hearings into select issues surrounding the proposed St. Lawrence Cement plant in Greenport, Columbia County, there was reason to hope that it was the beginning of a more comprehensive inquiry. But now, more than six months later, many key issues remain unresolved. It's time the state confronted them and rendered a decision on this project, which will affect communities along the Hudson for generations to come.
In December, Erin Crotty, the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, ordered hearings on an array of issues, including noise and traffic, and on air quality surrounding Olana, the historic home of the landscape painter Frederic Church.
At the time, other issues were gaining attention as well, but no hearings were ordered. These include particulate matter emissions from the plant's smokestack, the visual impact that such a large-scale project might have on the picturesque landscape, possible damage to wetlands, and the overall effect on the community, including the city of Hudson.
All are serious concerns. The project calls for 40 acres of waterfront industrial development. In all, the plant operation would comprise 1,800 acres, a land mass that would be larger than the nearby city of Hudson. The plant would have as its centerpiece a 400-foot smokestack, which would be four times as high as the one at the company's present operation in Catskill. The plume would be seen for miles.
Environmental and health advocacy groups claim that the plant's immense size and capacity will result in significant increases in nitrogen and sulfur emissions, as well as particulate matter. The company, through a sustained television advertising campaign, argues that the new plant will be much cleaner than the one it will replace in Catskill. That leaves the general public wondering which side is right. The Department of Environmental Conservation, which has the expertise to evaluate the conflicting claims, must move to do so.
The aesthetic concerns can be more readily addressed. Frederic Church not only painted landscapes but also devoted much of his creative energy to design them. The result is a breathtaking vista that attracts 150,000 tourists to Olana every year. Indeed, the viewshed is so spectacular that the state has granted Olana special protections.
Proponents of the new plant claim that Olana's southwest vista -- its most prized one -- would actually be enhanced because the Greenport facility would bring an end to production at the Catskill plant, where riverfront structures will be removed and a large vapor plume eliminated. They also maintain that by painting the new plant, it will blend more readily into the background. But St. Lawrence officials themselves are on record as acknowledging that the Greenport plant would be a dominant presence on this landscape. The question the state must answer is whether it would be an overwhelming and destructive one.
Adjudicatory hearings, which allow for expert testimony and cross-examination, were called for on these issues more than 18 months ago. It's time for Ms. Crotty to step forward and announce when they will begin.
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