Residents continue push back against Saratoga Biochar Project

MOREAU, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) – The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is getting ready to hold public hearings this week on a controversial project, Saratoga Biochar Solutions. The Saratoga Biochar project has been facing pushback from some community members since they learned of it in 2022.

“So far, we have gotten lots of issues in the past from the opposition to our project,” Bryce Meeker, President of Saratoga Biochar, said. “A lot of it is based on misinformation and misdirection.”

The facility would be built at the Moreau Industrial Park to process solid waste from wastewater treatment plants and turn it into fertilizer. However, concerned residents met at both the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls and the Moreau Community Center in Saratoga County to focus on the concerns they want to voice at this week’s DEC public hearings on the project.

Gina Leclair, a resident, said one of the major issues is how much of the waste will be transported from areas like New York City.

“And we’re expected to take 15% of New York State’s sewage sludge in our little community, and it will affect all of the homes around us,” she said.

Leclair is also concerned about the health risks that the project may entail. But Saratoga Biochar’s president said the project is meant to help the environment.

“Maybe they believe in climate change, maybe they don’t,” Meeker said. “But they don’t want it in their backyard. That’s really what it comes down to. And that’s a tough position for any industry.”

Advocates like Tracy Frisch said that even if the permit is approved, they will continue to protest against the project and work in other ways to keep it from being built.

“There are many ways to win and also to make it harder for the company to build this thing,” Frisch said.

But Saratoga Biochar officials remain hopeful about the next steps.

“We’re trying to do what we can,” Meeker said. “We’ve been very transparent, fully explaining our process multiple times. We’ve been patient going on a two-year review process.”

The next public hearing is scheduled for Thursday. And Saratoga BioChar say they completed their application for their permit. They are now waiting to hear the next steps from the DEC, and are hoping to hear back by the first week of March.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NEWS10 ABC.