|
The Capitol Connection
Governor George E. Pataki, who has spread the word far and wide that he is an environmentalist, must be keeping a close eye on the controversy over the plant. In fact, some very nervous environmental groups have bought into the Pataki myth, perhaps more in deference to the polls that show Pataki way out in front of his Democratic rivals, than to anything else. But Pataki, the self-styled environmentalist, has been strangely silent about the Saint Lawrence Cement Plant which promises to spew unhealthy toxins over one of the most beautiful sections of New York State, to say nothing of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, the western part of Vermont, and northwestern Connecticut. His problem is that while he portrays himself as an environmentalist, he will do anything to show economic activity in upstate New York which is still considered to be an economic basket case. But this cement plant is certain to kill rather than resurrect the economy. The plant itself is the handiwork of a troublesome and sometimes enigmatic Swiss company, Holcim. This foreign-owned firm has had some serious problems over the years and apparently has had some real trouble keeping its word about what its plant will and won't do environmentally. But so far, there is no word from the Pataki administration that the people of the state who have to breath potentially noxious fumes are going to be protected from a cement plant that they neither need nor want. The story of Hudson, New York is very instructive. Known in the 1950's for its thriving red light district, Hudson later degenerated into urban squalor. Urban planning didn't help the little town, the state did next to nothing but put some awful looking public housing projects into the center of Hudson. Then came a great renaissance. In the 1990's, a few antique dealers showed up, loved the place and enticed their friends to come. All the urban planners at Harvard could never have predicted the wonderful revival of this beautiful little river town. Now Hudson is known throughout the nation as an antiquers paradise. Hudson's fortunes grew as lovely restaurants and second home owners flocked to the city. Art galleries and shops sprang up everywhere. The Hudson idea grew into political action. Residents united to clean up much of the town's drug culture. A citizens movement threw out the bad guys. But soon a great shadow fell over the "little city that could" when the giant cement plant announced their intentions. The international conglomerate promised jobs and clean air but it turned out that there would be few, if any, new jobs in the largely automated plant and that the projections for bad air alarmed everyone. The State Department of Environmental Conservation, charged with protecting its citizens, began the process of licensing the plant, holding hearings and soliciting exhibits. Soon it will time for the Pataki appointed DEC Commissioner to make the final determination. You'd better believe that Pataki will be calling the shots on this one. The rub is that all the people who have so much to lose haven't heard from their "environmental" Republican governor of whom one cynic once remarked, "He never met a plant he didn't like." The plant owners have flooded the airwaves with misleading commercials, reminiscent of those run by General Electric when they were trying to stop the clean-up of the Hudson River. In the end, Pataki checked in on the GE situation and to tumultuous applause came out in favor of dredging the PCB's out of the state's most important river. But we still haven't heard from him about the cement plant that threatens so many citizens. The conventional wisdom is that all is lost if we don't hear from Pataki before the election. If he waits until after the election, he will have no political reason to help. Carl McCall has already come out against the plant and McCall will need a lot of upstate votes if he is to win. The plant will be one good reason for a lot of people to vote for him. The folks in Hudson are furious and many are losing hope. Some are suggesting that they will leave if the giant plant is built in next door Greenport. Then the town and the region may well revert to what it once was, with the corruption, the filth and the drugs. When the history is written it will be said that the State and its governor did nothing to help and only ruined what a courageous and determined town did to bring itself back to life. |
|
Search |