As one of countless New Yorkers who have spent a lifetime of summers relaxing along the Maine coast,

I am writing not merely to thank you for your strong editorial, “Getting their Drift” (BDN, Dec. 9), against the massive, coal-fired cement plant proposed here in the Hudson Valley. More than that,

I am also writing to reassure our friends Down East that there are thousands of us here in New York state who greatly appreciate Maine’s traditionally progressive stance on environmental issues, which has made it such an appealing haven for tourists. That’s just one of the reasons why the organization I volunteer for (and many others like it) has challenged the polluting St. Lawrence cement proposal for the past five years. Part of that process includes holding our own leaders’ feet to the fire on issues of regional pollution. It is essential that northeastern governors and attorneys general honor not only their joint commitment to fighting coal-burning facilities in the relatively distant Midwest – but also those in our own backyards.

Your editorial lends us real help in keeping our end of that bargain.

Sam Pratt

Executive Director

Friends of Hudson

Hudson, N.Y.