Cement firm abandons plant bid
St. Lawrence won't appeal state's denial

By Nik Bonopartis Poughkeepsie Journal April 25 , 2005

St. Lawrence Cement formally gave up its fight to build a cement plant in Columbia County Sunday.
The announcement by the Canadian company ended speculation on what its next move might be and sparked celebration among opposition groups that have fought the proposed plant for more than six years.
''We're tremendously relieved,'' said Sam Pratt, executive director of the citizen's group, Friends of Hudson. ''It's been a long journey for everyone here in Hudson and the neighboring communities.''
The final setback for St. Lawrence Cement came Tuesday, when New York's Department of State ruled the proposed $353 million cement plant in Greenport would go against the state's plan for residential, commercial and recreational uses of the Hudson River waterfront.
Options studied
St. Lawrence representatives said last week the company was considering its options, and a 30-day window remained to appeal the decision.
Though many who opposed the plant were overjoyed by last week's Department of State ruling, they waited for word from the company on what its next move would be.
''All week people were asking, is this really the end?'' Pratt said.
On Sunday, the company issued a statement saying it withdrew its proposal to build the plant.
St. Lawrence had sought state approvals to open a new plant. It would then close its 40-year-old plant across the Hudson River in Catskill, Greene County. The new plant would have been three times the size of the existing Catskill facility.
In a prepared comments, the company's president pointed to cement shortages ''in many states'' and said St. Lawrence would invest $10 million in the Catskill facility to keep up with demand.
The statement said the company would also move to secure ''sufficient imported cement'' in light of the decision against the new plant.
St. Lawrence President and CEO Philippe Arto said the company ''will continue to focus on developing long-term solutions to maintain our ability to supply the cement needs of our customers in the Northeast U.S. market on the most competitive basis.''
Company officials could not be reached for further comment Sunday.
Environmentalists said it was too early to judge the company's plans for the Catskill facility. But they said they were galvanized by Sunday's news and would monitor future developments.
''We look forward reviewing their proposal for the Catskill facility and we will encourage the company to direct its investment toward measures that will improve the environmental performance out of the facility while reducing the visual impact on the landscape,'' said Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson.
Sara Griffen, president of the Olana Partnership, said the decision was heartening to environmentalists, local business leaders and advocates for local historic sites.
''The fact that one of the largest companies in the world made the wise decision to withdraw gives power to the fights going on around the country to protect our historic sites and the landscapes that represent our history,'' she said.
Coalition challenged firm
The Olana Partnership was one of three groups -- including Friends of Hudson and the Hudson Valley Preservation Coalition -- with full party status in the legal fight against St. Lawrence. The coalition is an umbrella group led by Scenic Hudson that represents an additional 20 organizations.
Assemblyman Patrick Manning, R-East Fishkill, was among a group of public officials who long opposed the plant.
Manning said he didn't see the plant as part of a greater vision for the Hudson Valley, despite the promise of more jobs.
He said he would like to move forward on plans for bringing in ''businesses more compatible with the Hudson Valley model'' now that the prospect of the cement plan is gone.
''Columbia County can be the recipient of good, clean, well-paying jobs,'' he said. ''They didn't have to settle for St. Lawrence.''
Journal staff writer Rasheed Oluwa contributed to this story. Nik Bonopartis can be reached at nbonopar@poughkeepsiejournal.com
ON THE WEB - St. Lawrence Cement: www.stlawrencecement.com
- New York State Department: www.dos.state.ny.us
- Scenic Hudson: www.scenichudson.org
- Friends of Hudson: www.friendsofhudson.com
- Olana Partnership: www.olana.org
Copyright © 2005, Poughkeepsie Journal .

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