Hudson Falls declares opposition to expanded use at Fort Edward Clean Earth facility, approves dissent letter

The Village of Hudson Falls Board of Trustees on Jan. 13 formally recorded opposition to additional operations at the Clean Earth facility in Fort Edward and authorized the village attorney to draft a letter of dissent to the involved agencies.

Mayor John Barton stated on behalf of the village that "we are opposed to the Clean Earth Facility in Fort Edward." The board voted unanimously to instruct Attorney Bill Nikas to prepare and submit a letter expressing that opposition. Trustee Daniel Hogan made the motion and Trustee James Gallagher seconded, according to the minutes.

Public commenters at the meeting supported the board's stance and raised specific concerns. Resident Shannon Gillis told the board she had reviewed permit documents and said the facility's application and public-engagement practices do not meet Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) expectations for environmental justice and public participation; she said the facility had received a notice of incomplete and that its response indicated it did not believe a public participation meeting was necessary. The minutes record Attorney Nikas asking Gillis about the status of her FOIL requests; Gillis said she had obtained the current air permit and that petroleum-permit records show three modifications from 2013–2023 but that the original application could not be located.

Another attendee, Ron Atkinson, referenced a Clean Air Network presentation and argued that nearby waste-processing operations such as Wheelabrator are "grandfathered into old environmental regulations" and that current monitoring is inadequate. The board's resolution to draft a dissent letter instructs the attorney to deliver the village's opposition to the appropriate regulatory agencies; the minutes do not specify the recipient agencies by name beyond "appropriate involved agencies."