Town of Ramapo: Letter to the Editor

OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR

TOWN OF RAMAPO

237 Route 59

Suffern, New York 10901

(845) 357-5100 Fax: (845) 357-3877

CHRISTOPHER P. ST. LAWRENCE
Supervisor

PHILIP T. TISI
Assistant to the Supervisor

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
March 17, 2008

Demanding Accountability From United Water

It is quite unusual in this day and age for the president of a private corporation to publicly attack a local elected official. Michael Pointing's strident criticism of Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence is much more deeply rooted than the Supervisor's opposition to the sale of Suffern water to United Water. Pointing attempts to create the impression in his missive that the “non-profit” organization he runs is being victimized by political expediency, while in reality just the opposite is the case.

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence has spent the last several years:

Fighting against a proposed 51% rate hike by United Water in 2006.
Fighting against United Water releasing more water from Lake DeForest to New Jersey than its state permit allowed.
Fighting against United Water drilling wells which were drying up private wells of local homeowners.
Fighting for timely notification of residents and testing of wells which contained detectable levels of arsenic.
Fighting along with the Rockland County Fire Chiefs to have United Water conduct on-going inspection and upgrade of fire hydrants and transmission lines throughout Rockland County which was not being done. In Hillcrest, the lack of water pressure threatened to jeopardize public safety.
Fighting to have a new water tank constructed in New Hempstead to improve water pressure in New Hempstead, Spring Valley and Hillcrest.

Mr. Pointing conveniently omits two major facts concerning the 2006 Water Rate Case Agreement that he alludes to in his critique of the Supervisor. First, United Water received a double-digit rate increase and secondly, if United Water fails to meet long term and short term water supply goals, the company is subject to penalty payment of up to $750,000 annually. It is much cheaper to purchase water at bargain prices from a local municipality, than to pay exorbitant fines or develop new water sources. Several years ago, the Town of Ramapo took legal action against United Water in an attempt to prevent the company from taking water out of Potake Lake in Sloatsburg. The implication that Supervisor St. Lawrence is objecting to a humanitarian gesture on the part of United Water to save money for Suffern taxpayers, is ludicrous.

In 2001, the President of American National Power Company attacked Supervisor Chris St. Lawrence publicly for putting a damper on plans to construct the largest power plant in the United States in the Town of Ramapo.

Supervisor St. Lawrence was right in 2001, and he is right now in demanding accountability from United Water. The hard working residents of Rockland County deserve no less especially with plans being developed by United Water to build a $72 million desalination plant.

Sincerely,

Phil Tisi

Assistant to the Supervisor

Created by reeckt. Last modified 2008-03-25 13:23:47.

Letter to the Editor - United Water