By Scott Brinton
I felt, though, that I knew him well, having spoken with him several times by phone.I had come to his home to hear about the Village of Freeport's diesel Plant No. 2, which sits a half-mile from Dobson Avenue, just across the Meadowbrook Parkway from the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve. We sat in a breakfast nook of Joe's country kitchen. Joe plopped a folder full of documents on the table for me to peruse. Inside were Plant No. 2's emissions statements, letters from elected officials dating back 30 years, old newspaper clippings and reports from the federal Environmental Protection Agency speaking to the health risks the plant poses, especially cancer.Joe had begun a quiet campaign in 1993 to shut down Plant No. 2, collecting more than 100 signatures decrying the plant. Freeport ran Plant No. 2 little during the mid-1990s, after it built a substation on Sunrise Highway and imported most of its electricity from the New York State Power Authority upstate.Then, as deregulation hit New York during the late 1990s, Freeport began firing Plant No. 2 regularly, as it had over the past three decades.Joe got angry, knowing the terrible health risks that diesel exhaust poses, particularly the untreated exhaust that Plant No. 2 has sent raining down on Merrick, Freeport and a host of other surrounding communities for three decades.This time, Joe vowed to close Plant No. 2 for good, and he quickly assembled a public campaign to "clean it up or close it down." In recent weeks, the Village of Freeport and the Long Island Power Authority signed a letter of intent to shut down Power Plant No. 2 if and when Freeport finds an outside developer to build a new, clean-burning, gas-fired plant in its place. According to state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., the village has made "significant strides" toward bringing in such a developer.So, it appears that the Merricks very well might see an end to Plant No. 2, which could be responsible for ruining the lives of hundreds of local residents who have contracted cancer and a myriad of other diseases.For the hundreds and hundreds of hours - and hundreds of dollars - he has put into closing Plant No. 2, Joseph Kralovich is named the Merrick Herald's Person of the Year for 2001.Joe attacked Plant No. 2 as any good community activist should. He first did his research, spending many, many hours educating himself not only about Power Plant No. 2, but also about the mind-boggling electric industry.In February, Joe undertook what, at the start, amounted to a one-man campaign to shut down the plant, or have pollution controls installed atop its two smokestacks. The Herald joined Joe's effort, publishing a series of front-page articles about his effort and calling upon Freeport to close the plant.Soon, Joe's campaign ballooned into a community-wide cause, attracting hundreds of people who volunteered their time to write letters to the EPA and state Department of Environmental Conservation; to collect petition signatures against the plant; to raise funds for lawyers and environmental experts needed to fight the plant; and to stage a protest march in June. Even the Merrick School District, which usually stays out of so-called political issues, joined the cause.As president of the Old Lindenmere Civic Association, Joe cultivated relationships with elected officials such as Sen. Fuschillo (R-Merrick) and county Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), who pledged to support his campaign.With their help - especially that of Sen. Fuschillo - Joe got Plant No. 2's operating permit from the DEC "reopened," meaning that it was rewritten to include tough emissions standards. It had no such provisions previously. According EPA officials, this was the first time across the United States that a Title V permit was "reopened."Freeport then faced the likelihood that Plant No. 2 would be forced to close for failure to meet the new standards, when the rewritten permit took effect. The plant has no pollution controls.Reopening of the permit forced Freeport to bargain with LIPA Chairman Richard Kessel of Merrick to build the new, gas-fired plant. The year before, Freeport officials had refused to negotiate any such deal, saying essentially that they would continue to run Plant No. 2 as they pleased.Joe Kralovich acted out of concern for his wife, Caterina, who has stood by his side throughout this tough, worry-filled battle, and his son, Mike, as well as that of his neighbors. There is no better reason to take up a civic fight.Now, Joe has become an inspiration to people throughout the Merricks, as well as a role model to other local civic leaders. Michele Walsh, president of the Central Merrick Homeowners Association, said, "Joe has been a hero to many people and to many families who have lost loved ones over the years."Through his compassion and understanding for their loss, he has been able to bring the community together for a common cause - 'to clean it [the plant] up or close it down.'"Barry Fox, president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association, said, "As far as Joe is concerned, frankly the civic associations were totally unaware of the problem [Plant No. 2]. Due to his efforts alone, I think the community will benefit in the long run if the state and county and town live up to what they have committed themselves to."Fox quickly added, "I can't think of any one person who has effected more change over a brief period of time than Joe Kralovich in Merrick."And Stacy Grossman, vice president of the Old Lindenmere Civic Association, said the group is "lucky" and "blessed" to have Joe Kralovich as its president.It should be noted that, as Old Lindenmere president, Joe has taken on several other issues, from repairing City Avenue to making Sunrise Highway crossings safer for the students who must traverse them on their way to and from school.And Joe has pledged to continue fighting until Plant No. 2 is at last destroyed.Joe, for all your contributions to the Merricks, thank you. You are indeed this community's Person of the Year.
