Three candidates are running to replace Democratic Town Supervisor Bill McKenna, who is not seeking a fifth two-year term. They include Councilmember Anula Courtis, environmentalist Erin Moran, and journalist David Wallis. The three joined Town Board candidates Lily Korolkoff and Marcel Nagele at a forum hosted by the Woodstock Democratic Committee to discuss a hot topic right now: water quality and the environment.
Woodstock’s water supply has had multiple scares in recent years. Most recently, a fuel truck dumped hundreds of gallons of home heating oil into the Sawkill Creek. McKenna says testing shows none of the oil made it into the town or private water supplies so far. But testing has shown traces of toxic so-called “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, in two of the town’s five wells.
“The town is responsible to keep its water and its residents safe," says Moran. "We all know that in Wells 1 and 2, the PFAS levels were detected. They don’t exceed the maximum levels as dictated by the Ulster County Department of Health, so only annual testing is required. However, I don’t agree with that, and I don’t agree with waiting until something’s a problem before actually taking action, especially when it comes to water.”
Moran, who is Woodstock's Climate Smart Communities Coordinator, says the town has been using quarterly testing to monitor PFAS levels.
The discovery amped up concerns over an issue that has plagued local lawmakers for years: an illegal dump of construction materials at 10 Church Road in the hamlet of Shady. Despite lawsuits and court rulings deeming the dump illegal, it has yet to be fully removed. How the town should move forward has become a focus of the supervisor race.
If elected, Wallis says he would hire an independent hydrogeologist to examine for contamination, and conduct source tracing.
“I’m not saying that the Shady dump is the cause of forever chemicals being found in our wells, but it could be," he notes.
All three candidates agree the town should have acted sooner to hold the homeowner responsible for cleanup — but now, they differ slightly on what to do. Wallis says the town should simply enforce its own illegal dumping ban. Moran says Woodstock should look to state and federal agencies for guidance, but make (and enforce) its own, stricter environmental laws. Her campaign cites a remediation plan she developed as part of the Woodstock Environmental Commission in 2020.
Courtis, meanwhile, says moving forward will require a total reset. She wants to bring together the community, local experts, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the state Attorney General, and more.
“We can’t do this alone. The leadership that Woodstock needs moving forward is leadership that is collaborative, leadership that knows how to build trusted relationships with county, with state," she says. "We have to be able to understand the laws, and we have to be able to think outside the box, but at the same time keep Woodstock’s particular problems in mind, and put those solutions in place.”
On the Town Board level, Nagele agrees with Wallis that Woodstock should enforce its own dumping law and make the homeowner pay for the cleanup. Korolkoff says cleaning up the Shady Dump is easier said than done, and the town should work with the DEC.
“Realistically, cleaning it up is a big task," she notes. "I mean, you’re going to need court orders. It’s already been there for years. Realistically, everything underneath the loads that were dumped is probably contaminated already. So how far do you dig? Do you dig all the way down to the water table? Like, what are we actually removing? And then we also have to think about the cost of that.”
Moran wants to look into methods like “reverse osmosis” to break down the PFAS molecules in town wells. She says a pilot program in Hurley is showing promising results. Wallis estimates reverse osmosis could cost upwards of $1 million, and wants to consult the aforementioned hydrogeologist to review options first, which could include reverse osmosis or a filtration system. Courtis is open to reverse osmosis, and wants to create a public dashboard where residents can track quarterly test results.
"We're going to provide accessible educational materials on PFAS exposure and safe practices at home," she adds. "We're going to host regular community forums, and we're going to establish a citizen advisory group to keep residents informed and involved throughout the process."
On other topics, all three town supervisor candidates want to electrify more of the town’s vehicles and expand EV-charging infrastructure. Moran also wants to focus on flood mitigation strategies and green zoning laws, while Courtis wants to create a community solar program and make Woodstock more bike-friendly.
Multiple candidates noted these initiatives will cost money, and suggested the town hire a grant writer to pull in funds. Wallis lists one measure he thinks is relatively cheap: an automated emergency alert system, to warn residents of extreme weather events.
“Shandaken has one, Olive has one. And it costs Shandaken $900 a year," he explains. "It’s crazy we haven’t done this already.”
Three Democrats, including Korolkoff and Nagele, are running for two positions on the Town Board. Democrat Laurie Osmond was not present at the forum due to a prior commitment. There are no Republican candidates in either race.
The next forum is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Woodstock Town Hall. Primary Day is June 24.
