March 15, 2002
Proposed Asphalt Plant Generates Controversy
While the battle over the design of the Batchellerville Bridge in Edinburg was nearing its conclusion, a new environmental confrontation was heating up -- this time around Northville.
At issue is Delaney Development Inc.'s plans to install a hot asphalt plant at its existing 108-acre sand and gravel quarry just up Route 30 from Northville.
The plant, capable of producing a maximum of 110 tons of asphalt per hour, would bring an estimated three additional jobs to the site. The site is located in the Town of Northampton in Fulton County.
Opponents point out that the asphalt plant would be located only a few hundreds yards from Great Sacandaga Lake and less than a mile from a state boat launch and a public bathing beach. They argue that it would be detrimental to the tourist industry, a mainstay of the local economy, and also would decrease local property values. They have organized into the Sacandaga-Adirondack Alliance for Responsible Growth (SAARG) and set up their own web site (check it out at www.saarg.org).
SAARG is expressly concerned about air pollution (foul odors as well as potentially harmful emissions), pollution of the lake, groundwater pollution, noise pollution, visual pollution (a silo associated with the new plant would be 50 feet tall), and increased heavy truck traffic to and from the plant. SAARG points out that the company was fined $1,000 last year for allowing sediments from a settling pond to enter the lake. Said SAARG member William Gritsavage: "There is nothing good economically, environmentally, or healthwise that can come from building an asphalt plant on the shores of this lake in the town of Northampton."
The company has applied for necessary permits from the Adirondack Park Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Owner Tim Delaney says the plant would be state-of-the-art and environmentally safe, and adds: "We intend to be the good neighbor we have always been." In addition, he says that the silo would be hidden by trees and not be visible from Route 30 or the lake.
SAARG has collected 250 signatures so far on a petition opposing the plant, it has obtained extensive media coverage of the issues, it has printed up bumper stickers, and it has its own web site. Last month, it helped to turn out some 70 concerned citizens at a meeting of the Northampton town council. But it has a long way to go.
On issues like this, public debate is healthy -- but for that debate to be successful, the public needs to have access to all the facts. No decisions should be made on the new asphalt plant and no state permits should be issued until a town meeting can be held, preferably at Northville Central School.
That meeting should be sponsored by the state, whether by the Adirondack Park Agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation, or both jointly. This issue is not limited to a single town or to a single county. Great Sacandaga Lake falls within the boundaries of two counties (Fulton and Saratoga). Since the proposed asphalt plant would be located near the lake's primary inlet, an accidental release of liquid pollutants could have widespread consequences. Similarly, windborne pollutants recognize no boundaries and can have an impact, in any direction, far from their source.
At the town meeting, both sides and the state should be given ample time to make presentations, followed by questions/comments from the floor. Such a meeting should be well-publicized in advance and should be held in the summer to allow participation by seasonal residents. The BBAC successfully fought for such a meeting on the Batchellerville Bridge replacement project. Held last August under state auspices, it was carried out in a civil manner even though emotional issues were involved. The results of such meetings are twofold: 1) citizens can become educated on the pros and cons, and 2) local and state officials can obtain a strong sense of what the public wants.
As a starter, here are some questions that the public might want to see answered: What types of raw materials would have to be trucked to the plant? In case of an accident en route, what would be the degree of hazard, if any, to the public? How would these materials be stored at the plant? What would be the consequences of an accidental spill into the lake? During the plant's operation, what types of gases/particulates would escape up the stack and in what concentrations? What would be estimated truck traffic to and from the plant in the first year of operation? Third year? Fifth year? What would be the total weight of loaded trucks leaving the plant? Would they be able to cross the existing Batchellerville Bridge (posted weight: 15 tons) and/or the replacement bridge that will be built later this decade (posted weight: 45 tons)? How would wastes be stored? Where would they ultimately be dumped? Are other asphalt plants in operation near any major bodies of water in the Adirondack Park? What impact, if any, have they had on the environment and neighboring communities?
I hope you will join me in urging the Adirondack Park Agency to sponsor a town meeting on this proposed asphalt plant. When you write, be sure to identify the proposed plant as Project 2002-15. Remember, this is not somebody else's problem. It could impact your swimming, fishing, and boating, and the quality of the air you breathe. Address your letter to:
John L. Quinn
Agency Review Officer
Adirondack Park Agency
P.O. Box 99
Ray Brook, NY 12977
With copies to any or all of the following:
Governor George E. Pataki
Executive Chamber
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Hugh T. Farley
NYS Senate
412 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Marc W. Butler
NYS Assembly
33-41 E. Main Street
Johnstown, NY 12095
James N. Tedisco
NYS Assembly
402 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
Paul Tonko
NYS Assembly
713 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248