Mar 26, 2007 — Word that rail company CSX might stop serving a stretch of track in the North Country caused concern last week among manufacturers, railroad operators and industrial development agencies. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Jun 29, 2006 — This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the "Slick of '76", a 300,000 gallon oil spill in the heart of the Thousand Islands. Thick, gooey crude coated the shoreline from Alexandria Bay to Massena. The accident remains one of the largest inland oil spills in the United States. Many river residents still remember where they were on June 23, 1976. The event re-shaped the way a generation views its relationship to the river and the giant freighters that ply its waters. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Jun 23, 2006 — 30 years ago today, on a foggy morning, the NEPCO 140 barge hit a shoal in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay. The barge spewed 300,000 gallons of thick, gooey oil into the river. The "Slick of '76," as it's known today, stretched as far downriver as Massena. It remains among the largest inland vessel oil spills in the United States. Next week on The 8 O'Clock Hour, we'll hear from the people who saw the spill unfold, the people who helped clean it up, and the people who are passing on the memories of the oil spill to a new generation. Today, Martha Foley talk with someone who tried to measure the Slick of '76 in human terms. John Omohundro is a professor of anthropology at SUNY Potsdam. In 1976, he got a grant from the Coast Guard to study the spill's impacts on people's work, their recreation habits, their social networks.  Go to full article

Jun 22, 2006 — The 2006 Bioenergy Summit continues at Clarkson through Friday. On Thursday, scientists, farmers and financiers talked frankly about some of the challenges in building a bioenergy industry in the north country and in New York State... Not all the infrastructure is in place in the state. Some lamented the lack of national leadership. But the mood of the conference was optimistic. So much so, that when Ross Whaley of the Adirondack Park Agency got up to discuss environmental regulations, he said he felt like Darth Vader.

Michael Pacheco is Director of the National Bioenergy Center in Colorado, part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory or NREL. NREL is the federal government's primary research lab into renewable technology. He told Gregory Warner the North Country could be a leader in the bioenergy revolution.  Go to full article

Mar 29, 2006 — Alcoa workers held an informational picket Monday outside the aluminum plants in Massena. Union officials say Alcoa's proposed new contract cuts health care and pension benefits, especially for new employees. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Jan 06, 2006 — America has watched over the last week as the coal mine disaster unfolded in West Virginia. Twelve men died after an explosion rocked the underground works. Mine tragedies were once an everyday part of life here in the North Country. Iron works in the Champlain Valley and the northern Adirondacks contributed some of the highest grade ore in the country. Adirondack iron helped build the George Washington Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. But men died every year in tunnel cave-ins and accidental explosions. Brian Mann spoke with Lawrence Gooley. He's author of two books about the iron mine at Lyon Mountain in Clinton County. The latest is called "Out of the Darkness". It chronicles the story of the miners killed in Lyon Mountain over its century-long history.  Go to full article

Dec 02, 2005 — Cornwall, Ontario Mayor Phil Poirier describes the news that the city's major manufacturer, Domtar, will close its local paper mill "absolutely devastating." Domtar senior vice president Roger Brear told workers of the closure Wednesday. He blamed a drop in demand for Domtar's products and energy costs.
All 520 jobs will be gone. Domtar cut 390 jobs at the Cornwall plant a year ago. So the total is now about 900 jobs lost. The city will have to absorb the loss of an annual payroll of $50 million dollars and about $1.5 million in property tax revenue. Jack Romanelli is editor of the Standard-Freeholder newspaper in Cornwall. He told Martha Foley Cornwall was built on industries that settled along the St. Lawrence River there, and Domtar's closure is the end of an era.  Go to full article

Sep 05, 2005 — State environment officials continue to investigate what caused a 3 million gallon manure spill in the Black River near Lowville. A lagoon failed on the Marks Farm, a 3,000 cow dairy operation. The manure flooded into the river, killing an estimated 200,000 fish and devastating tourism for at least two weeks. The catastrophe is firing up a debate over whether large farms are safe for people or the environment. The New York Times penned a scathing editorial on what it termed "mega-dairies". The paper called for "far stricter environmental standards" and opportunities for communities to vote large farms out of town. There are more than 100 dairy farms in the North Country with more than 300 cows. The farmers say their operations are cleaner and safer than ever. But critics question that, and they wonder whether the facilities should be treated as farms at all. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Jul 27, 2005 — Environmental groups say six of the top ten dirtiest power plants in the Northeast are located in New York State. They are urging Governors of Northeastern states, who are working on a pollution reduction pact, to come up with strict new rules to curb emissions. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

Jun 14, 2005 — Alcoa made its first concrete sign that it wants to stay in Massena for the next generation of aluminum production. According to the Watertown Daily Times, Alcoa offered the New York Power Authority a jobs-for-power deal at a meeting last week in New York City. Under the proposal, Alcoa would guarantee 500 to 700 high-wage union jobs in exchange for 30 to 50 years of cheap hydroelectric power. Alcoa currently employs almost 1300 workers at its two plants in Massena. The company would also invest up to $450 million to modernize what is the oldest continuously operating smelter in the world. David Sommerstein spoke with Ernie LaBaff about the proposed contract. He's president emeritus of the Aluminum, Brick, and Glassworkers Union and a former Alcoa worker. LaBaff says the offer is a good starting point.  Go to full article