Mark Dunlea of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine interviewed Barbara Heinzen and Sara Pruiksma, two activists with the Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena-Coeyman on Monday, September 11, 2023. As the previous blog explained, both were arrested by the Coeymans police in June 2023 for allegedly trespassing on the property owned by Carver Laraway. In reality, they had been walking on the side of a highway to see what plants had been impacted by the clearcutting of 25 acres by Carver Company, which owns the Port of Coeymans and recently took control of the Coeymans Town government. Local activists have fought the company over various issues, such as importing tires at the Port to burn at the LaFarge Cement Plant.
In June of 2023, Barbara Heinzen, a renowned local geographer, and Sara Pruiksma, a local artist and mother of two, were falsely accused of trespassing onto Carver Companies’ property on Bronk Road, Town of Coeymans, NY. Heinzen and Pruiksma are also members of the Clean Air Coalition, and both have been vocal about Carver’s businesses in Coeymans. Read more from the Press Release or watch their story here:
On June 15, 2023, radio host David Lombardo of the Capitol Pressroom spoke with CAC member Barbara Heinzen about the proposed expansion of the Port of Coeymans. The 22-minute interview addressed several key issues including waste management, heavy traffic, noise and air pollution, permit violations, political nepotism, river degradation, and the lack of transparency at the Port. Heinzen spoke about cleaner and smarter port alternatives to manufacturing offshore wind parts. She also cited reasons as to why the activities at the Port of Coeymans are not merely a NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) issue. What happens in Coeymans doesn’t stay in Coeymans… because environmental degradation affects everyone, reiterated Heinzen.
On the morning of Wednesday, May 24, the CAC invited the local press and all interested guests aboard a patrolling vessel on the Hudson River operated by Riverkeeper Captain John Lipscomb. The media opportunity served to highlight a 2.5-mile stretch of vulnerable ecological shoreline at risk of further industrial expansion. NYSERDA is in the process of deciding on one or more of 3 ports in the Capitol region to award with a lucrative offshore wind contract this summer.
In addition to major deforestation, ambitions at the Port of Coeymans in both waste collection and offshore wind could, potentially, destroy a part of the new Eagle Recreation area designated from Kingston to Albany including dozens more rare habitats.
The informational tour was narrated by Riverkeeper member, Rebecca Martin along with CAC Chair, Dr. Barbara Heinzen. Invited guests included Times Union writer, Rick Karlin, Times Union photographer, Lori Van Buren, Ravena resident and CAC member, Ashley Redfield, and Ravena resident, Eric Remillard.
The boat tour underscored the importance of Hannacroix Creek and the remaining parcels of land currently owned privately by the Ten Enyk Powell family. It navigated the shoreline from just south of the Port of Coeymans to just shy of the Castleton Bridge and returned within the hour.
Captain Lipscomb and Dr. Heinzen described the potential dangers to the environment and quality of life issues like additional barge and truck traffic, noise and water pollution, and continual deforestation.
Several acres at 47 Bronk Road that abuts the River were destroyed in early 2023 when Port of Coeymans owner, Carver Co, purchased the land.
Since 2006, the Port and allied businesses on the banks of the River have tripled in size from its original 122-acre footprint to at least 665 acres. The area is largely controlled by Carver Co who has been building one of the biggest waste depots in the Northeast. The Coeymans community and the river do not want or need more industrial development.
Some of the material being collected at the Port of Coeymans is said to be recycling C&D but when the piles never move out, it’s a dump, one that sits right next to the Hudson River.
Since 2006, the Port of Coeymans and allied businesses on the banks of the Hudson River have tripled in size from its original 122-acre footprint to at least 665 acres. This area is largely controlled by Carver Laraway who has been building one of the biggest waste depots in the Northeast. Now the Port wants to add a large wind power project into the mix. Residents living near the Port of Coeymans, who are already dealing with an excessive number of polluting waste projects, fear that wind could do more harm than good.
The Big Push for Renewable Energy in NY State
NY State is offering significant financial support and likely public subsidies to businesses – including ports – hoping to develop offshore wind. The Port of Coeymans has been pushing hard to be one of the chosen sites. They claim this will bring hundreds of permanent manufacturing jobs to a “disadvantaged community” and numerous environmental benefits to New York.
We support wind power development in New York State, but as residents of Coeymans and Ravena, we know that the Port’s rapid expansion has been dominated by waste, including the possible sale of garbage to the nearby cement plant for fuel. This expansion has come with the destruction of our local environment and degraded our quality of life.
A bad actor: many violations at Carver Companies in Coeymans
Port of Coeymans is an “open shop” not required to hire union labor
According to their website, the Port is a “privately-owned marine terminal”. While there are other potential wind sites in the Capital Region that are public companies and would require good-paying union jobs, Coeymans is a private endeavor with an “open shop” where employees would not necessarily be required to join a labor union.
The Coeymans community left behind by the state; the Hudson River has no voice
Carver Companies call Coeymans a “disadvantaged community” in order for its businesses to qualify for state aid under the Climate Act when in fact, it is not classified as disadvantaged by the state. Instead, we are a community that is treated as collateral damage for garbage and wind development, and too small for the state to defend; the Hudson River with no voice of its own, is ignored.
What do we want?
We have real concerns about the Port of Coeymans being chosen as a potential site to develop wind power. With a history of isolated decisions resulting in a fragmented approach to the industrialization of the Port, we believe that a wind energy development will only lead to more garbage in our community and the further destruction of our quality of life and the Hudson River with its rare habitats and shoreline. For years the residents of Coeymans, Ravena, New Baltimore, Selkirk, and others have been asking for studies and an independent cumulative impact assessment for the Port of Coeymans, one that selects the important quality of life topics such as traffic, noise, water, land use, and biodiversity.
We are tired of losing greenfield land along the river for profit. It has got to stop.
TAKE ACTION: Coeymans is the wrong site for a wind development project. Tell Governor Hochul and NYSERDA that only public sites that can provide good-paying union jobs and plan to build on existing brownfields without expanding into greenfield sites should be approved.
Disclaimer: Change.org is a free petition site. Upon signing this petition, you will be automatically asked to make a donation to this platform, which is completely voluntary. Please note that your donations go to Change.org and not to the Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena / Coeymans.
