Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena – Coeymans

By CAC volunteer/Selkirk resident, Sonja Stark

Environmental activism is not for the faint of heart. The challenges the CAC faces in Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk are never-ending and always growing. Our vision to see our little Hudson Valley town transition away from polluting plants and dirty politics and replaced with clean progress and principled politicians is a thankless endeavor.

Our frustrations stem from far more than the disappointing passage of LECCLA late last year. Regardless of the ugly truths behind so-called “low-carbon concrete,” Governor Hochul passed it anyway. What a colossal greenwashing ruse. We fear that it’s only a matter of time before Lafarge starts burning TDF if they aren’t already.

As if that isn’t enough to keep us awake late at night… we also battle:

• A Port that continues to expand its’ footprint regardless of increased truck traffic, scrapyard fires, DEC fines, or fugitive airborne particulates.
• A Town Supervisor that continues to cater to industry polluters under the guise of job creation, defunds the local police department to line his own pockets, talks of passing a resolution to increase his strangehold on the community, and much more.

The scary part is this town is made up of a lion’s share of smart and informed residents but many are shaking in their shoes to speak up. They care but are afraid of retribution. They fear that their opinions might prompt a job loss or car tires slashed or a mailbox destroyed. All are valid reasons because all are true consequences to those that are daring enough to speak up.

Honestly, the level of intimidation and coercion taking place in our small, historic hamlet proceeds at a degree that would make a Mafia mob boss blush!

Let’s be honest, here: The CAC is made up of just a small handful of blue-collar, citizen activists who try like hell to protect what little is left. We fight to make right the wrongs of the very rich, the very powerful, and the very well-connected. Are we a threat to their bottom line? Seriously…that’s too funny.

Residents that can afford to move out of here, do, the rest of us dig in our heels and stay the course. Unfortunately, this survival mentality can only last so long. Indifference, apathy, detachment: these are inevitable outcomes of the underdog that gets beaten up one too many times.

Yet, we remain committed to, at the very least, the idea of a win in our favor. With the help of more brave voices, we still hold out hope we can turn the tide.

"Let's not grasp at fanciful notions when there's so much serious 
environmental work to be done."

Dear Governor Hochul,

I’m writing to urge you to veto Assembly Bill 2591A, the Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act. Recently I participated in a call with you sponsored by Indivisible groups. I was struck by your sincerity when speaking about your growing up and seeing the orange sky, made so by nearby smokestacks.

In Albany County, we face the threat of air pollution from the Lafarge cement plant in Coeymans. The bill you have before you to sign or veto would open the door to allowing plants like Lafarge to produce toxic air and ground pollution. 2591-A looks good at first glance, but its skeletal language would permit toxic waste incineration and/or toxic waste to be used in concrete mixtures. 

In a recent OpEd in the Albany Times Union regarding LECCLA, the Lafarge plant manager referred to “green cement”. This characterization belongs in the same category as “clean coal”. Let’s not grasp at fanciful notions when there’s so much serious environmental work to be done.

The condescending language of the pro-LECCLA lobby in dismissing reasonable concerns as “misunderstandings by some environmental groups”, is not helpful. NYPRIG, Food and Water Watch, the Albany County Legislature, even the Association of General Contractors of NY, along with dozens of other respected groups, are unlikely to all misunderstand the problems with LECCLA. We need an open, clear-eyed discussion before enacting this bill into law.

Let’s tighten up this bill and explicitly prohibit incinerating toxic materials and/or adding toxic substances to the concrete mixture. Please be the good steward of our air that your own life experience dictates.

With thanks,
Fran Porter Guilderland 

This letter from CAC member Fran Porter was sent to Governor Hochul on Wed, 12/15/21

Thank you to the Media Sanctuary for allowing us time to discuss the reasons why Gov. Hochul needs to veto LECCLA. We hope all local reporting makes a difference!

It’s all up to Governor Kathy Hochul now. On Friday, December 10, 2021, NY State Senate Bill A291A, also known as LECCLA, was delivered to her desk to approve (“sign”) or reject (“veto”). Signed bills become law; vetoed bills do not. However, if the governor fails to sign or veto a bill within the 10-day period, the bill automatically becomes law.

If a bill is delivered to the Governor when the Legislature is out of session (typically from late June until early January), the rules are a bit different. At such times, the Governor has 30 days (including Sundays) in which to make a decision. Failure to act has the same effect as a veto. Informally, this failure to act is often referred to as a “pocket veto.”

In the next 10 days, please continue to voice your concerns for this bill!

Have no doubts, this bill will lead to burning waste at the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena and other industries that depend on high temperature kilns.

Our friends at Beyond Plastics shared this very important bulletin today to help gauge support for something that could help our cause here in Selkirk, Ravena, Coeymans.

Please call Congressmember Paul Tonko and urge him to cosponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (H.R.2238) today before 5pm to help lessen the chances of end-of-life plastics being one of the alternative fuels that cement companies like Lafarge Holcim could use to run their kilns.

In 2021, NY-20 residents engaged with Rep. Tonko through constituent meetings, rallies, and letters to the editor urging him to cosponsor this essential bill. Representative Tonko has not cosponsored because of his committee assignments – but we think that’s an even more important reason to cosponsor this bill!

Seventeen NY Representatives have cosponsored the BFFPPA, including Representatives Antonio Delgado, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sean Patrick Maloney, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand  We know we can get Rep.Tonko to join his NY colleagues and take bold action on plastic pollution, but we need your help! Click here to call now!

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges to our climate, health, and water systems. A new report from Beyond Plastics found that emissions from US plastic production will exceed US coal-fired power plants by 2030 without intervention. Representative Tonko is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change – it is imperative that he support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would put a 3-year moratorium on new permits for plastic production facilities and put in common-sense measures to reduce plastic production and demand.

Call Rep. Tonko today before 5pm, and share this action with your friends and family in NY’s 20th district: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/call-tonko-bffppa