Limited review suggested by company turned down by state

Times Union: December 2, 2021

Story by Roger Hannigan Gilson

Hughes Energy wants to build a 115,000-square-foot plant it says will help New York reach its climate goals by annually converting 176,000 tons of sorted garbage into a fibrous material that could replace paper products and coal. The process would cut down on methane, a greenhouse gas produced by rotting organic material, by diverting trash from landfills and turning it into reusable products, according to Hughes.

But environmental groups and residents have pushed back on the plan with increasing vigor, arguing there are too many unknowns with the new technology and worrying about the plant's impact on the Catskills Mountains and the New York City reservoir system. The plant would be located less than 2,000 feet from the Schoharie Creek, which feeds into the Ashokan Reservoir that provides water to most of NYC and about 1 million people in the Hudson Valley.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, which is in charge of vetting the project, is now requiring Hughes Energy to study and plan how to minimize potentially significant adverse environmental impacts, including on water resources, noise, odor, traffic, and public infrastructure.
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Hughes Energy Group has proposed a biofuel production facility for Prattsville, which could cut down on landfills, but many residents are not supportive of the placement and potential disruption to the environment. Jeff Senterman via Getty Images

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