Industrial plant noise would invade forest

Dear Editor, The 850 Route 28 precast concrete factory doesn’t belong in the heart of Bluestone Wild Forest. It would be right on the shore of Pickerel Pond and Praymaher Brook. Pickerel Pond is quite near to Onteora Lake, and is the same size, yet is much wilder and undisturbed by human activity. Currently, it remains protected for both the wildlife that live there and human visitors. Go visit there and see for yourself.

Think how well sound travels over water. The proposed factory would work 24 hours a day. Materials and product would be stored outside the factory buildings. The sound of the factory and its vehicles would rumble across the quiet water; backing alarms would beep through the night. This noise would change this lake permanently, disturbing the natural community and human visitors.

Pickerel Pond’s proposed noise protection is a few gravel berms and some trees.

Knowing how well sound travels around tall concrete highway sound barriers, would you trust these small protections, proposed by the factory proponent, and reviewed by the same Planning Board that initially said this factory would have no impacts? And there are more impacts which haven’t been considered by the developer or the Town of Kingston Planning Board.

The Catskill Park State Land Master Plan defines “wild forest” as receiving almost the same degree of protection as wilderness. This definition allows recreational use, not industrial use. Sound invades the forest. Allan Goldhammer

Esopus, N.Y.