Environmental watchdog group calls for shutdown of embattled Cohoes Norlite plant

COHOES – An environmental watchdog group is calling for the immediate closure of the embattled Norlite plant in Cohoes.

This isn’t the first time an environmental group has called for Norlite to be shut down. It certainly won’t be the last time.

A group calling itself "Lights Out Norlite" shared with the media an analysis of these aggregate piles, and concluded the results of their research should be reason enough to shut things down.

The environmental sampling data — the group’s research concludes — show that Norlite’s carcinogenic dust is found miles downwind of the facility. Although, the immediate concern is for folks living in the Saratoga Sites development in Cohoes. It’s a 4.5 acre site run by the

Cohoes Housing Authority. Roughly 70 families live there.

According to biochemist Chris Sevinsky, who has spent a great deal of time collecting and analyzing air sample data from the region, he believes the time has come to pull down the curtain on Norlite.

Learn what he says the data shows about an increase in cancer rates in that area by watching the video of Dan Levy’s story.