Stopping the Plant: The St. Lawrence Cement Controversy and the Battle for Quality of Life in the Hudson Valley (Suny Series, an American Region) [Hardcover]

Miriam D. Silverman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2006

Detailed account of the controversy surrounding the building of a coal-fired cement factory in the Hudson Valley.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When the St. Lawrence Cement Company proposed building a massive coal-powered cement plant near the banks of the Hudson River in the town of Greenport, New York, in 1999, it ignited a controversy that dominated the discussion of community development in the entire Hudson Valley region. Stopping the Plant is a fascinating and detailed chronicle of how the proposal fired the passions of many local citizens, spawned the creation of numerous activist groups, and over the next several years spread to become a raging dispute throughout the Northeast. Miriam D. Silverman provides a thorough and balanced exploration of the positions of both sides of this highly polarized dispute, while at the same time places the controversy within a greater historical and regional context. For anyone interested in community organizing, the potentials and difficulties of modern grassroots environmentalism, and, ultimately, the future of the environmental movement, Silverman emphasizes the significance of the decision by St. Lawrence Cement to withdraw its application in 2005.

"Anyone who thinks of home as a special place threatened by forces both distant and close at hand will find a profound connection to the people of Hudson as they struggled to define the soul of their community. We have Miriam Silverman to thank for that." — From the Foreword by Mark H. Lytle

About the Author

Miriam D. Silverman is an independent scholar born and raised in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr (August 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791469611
• ISBN-13: 978-0791469613
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,927,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Stopping the Plant, February 14, 2010

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Barbara (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Stopping the Plant: The St. Lawrence Cement Controversy And the Battle for Quality of Life in the Hudson Valley (Suny Series, An American Region: Studies in the Hudson Valley) (Paperback)

A very balanced analysis of a major environmental controversy in the Hudson valley. It astutely presents the different sides and values involved. Excellent as a resource on how citizen action was effective in stopping development.