ICYMI: Niagara Bottle Pulls T/Ulster Proposal

  |  February 13, 2015
cooper lake woodstock

Cooper Lake, Bearsville

The news has been all over our Facebook newsfeed this morning, but if you didn’t catch it on yours, Niagara Bottling has scrapped its proposal to build a water bottling plant in the Town of Ulster in Ulster County. The plan has been controversial from the get-go, with local advocacy groups loudly voicing their opposition to the plant that would draw nearly 2 million gallons of water a day from Cooper Lake, a reservoir located in Bearsville, just outside of Woodstock. Apparently, Niagara heard them loud and clear. According to the Kingston Daily Freeman, supporters of the proposal feel that Niagara’s decision to pull the plug (so to speak) could spell trouble for the future of the local economy. Town of Ulster Deputy Supervisor Eric Kitchen was quoted as saying, “This sends a message to future developers and manufacturers that Ulster County is not business-friendly. It is no secret that Ulster County needs jobs to support the people that live here.” And then there’s the issue of Kingston’s failing infrastructure, which would have been repaired by Niagara if the project had gone through. Read more about the decision on the Kingston Times (check for more in-depth coverage next week) and the Times Herald-Record.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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