Saratoga Biochar Public Meetings Schedule

Saratoga Biochar Solutions LLC, in accordance with The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), will be holding public information meetings on Tuesday March 28th, 2023, and Wednesday March 29th, 2023. These public information meetings are for residents and business owners who live and work in the cities of Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Fort Edward, and will be held at 214 Main Street in Hudson Falls. On Tuesday, March 28th, the meeting will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and on Wednesday, March 29th, the meeting will be from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. There is also the options of participating in these meetings remotely, via Zoom and by phone.

The purpose of these meetings is to inform the public about the project overview, scope of work, community impacts, background, project schedule, and proposed mitigation measures, with a question-answer period.  The proposed project is to construct and operate a carbon fertilizer manufacturing facility on 5.89 acres of land within the Town of Moreau Industrial Park.

 “The public information meetings being held on March 28^th and 29^th in Hudson Falls are for residents and business owners that live and work within the City of Glens Falls, Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, within two miles of our proposed project site, and within what the NYSDEC defines as ‘disadvantaged’ and/or ‘environmental justice’ zones.  NYSDEC requires that we provide a project overview that outlines potential impacts and impact mitigation measures with this targeted audience, and to solicit their comments/questions. We have two primary goals for these meetings. First, share up-to-date project information and address questions or concerns from the community. Secondly, achieve permit ‘application completeness’ so that the DEC can proceed with their 30-day public comment period, and ultimately render a decision on our permit applications,” CEO Ray Apy said.

Saratoga Biochar LLC has received ample and vocal pushback from members of the Moreau community regarding the potential environmental impact of the project. Although the Town of Moreau approved the plan, the community group “Not Moreau” has been vocal regarding supposed risks of increased noise pollution, added truck traffic, and the potential environmental impact of the facility. The community of Moreau has been affected by industrial waste in the past -some area manufacturers used property in Moreau to dump industrial waste from 1958 to 1968, which resulted in contaminated soil, surface water, and groundwater. The groundwater at that site still exceeds federal cleanup levels for several chemicals, but there are no exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks to the public. According to the EPA, approximately 215-million gallons of contaminated water is treated per year. This treatment is expected to continue for more than 200 years.

This contamination occurred prior to the establishment of the NYSDEC in 1970. The mission of the NYSDEC is to conserve, improve and protect New York’s natural resources and environment, and to prevent, abate, and control water, land, and air pollution; in order to enhance the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state, and their overall economic and social wellbeing.

The waste management issue is evolving in the State of New York. The NYSDEC has recently announced draft regulations regarding New York State’s waste management and climate goals – on Thursday, March 16th, NYSDEC released the draft solid waste management plan. This plan includes recommendations to prevent landfilling to help meet New York’s climate goals: “Solid waste is the fourth-largest contributor to climate-altering greenhouse gasses, and New York’s efforts to reduce landfill waste is critical to help meet the State’s ambitious climate goals,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said.

Saratoga Biochar Solutions LLC was established to build, own, and operate a carbon fertilizer manufacturing facility. This facility would help to keep solid waste out of landfills. Saratoga Biochar Solutions aligns with the NYSDEC recommendations and goals, as New York State plans to reduce the climate impact of solid waste and provides direction for New York’s waste reduction, reuse, recycling, collection, transportation, and disposal investments, policies, and practices over the next decade. The release of the draft plan is a milestone in the history of the State’s ongoing efforts to ensure New York is at the forefront of rethinking waste.