What Hughes Energy Group Proposes in Goshen, NY

Hughes LLC has proposed a municipal R&D solid waste processing facility to be located in Orange County Landfill property, in the gas building part of the NY superfund site in Goshen, New York. Hughes plans a future full-scale facility for the site.

Estimated to process 176,500 tons per year, the facility would be in close proximity to the Cheechunk Canal and Wallkill River and over a principal aquifer. The proposed facility would be the first of its type and scale in the United States.

Project Misrepresentation

In public meetings, Hughes Energy has represented their proposal as a small R&D facility on the site of the current landfill Gas facility.

BUT

  • Supervisor Betro is apparently working on behalf of Hughes Energy as their Director of Business Development

AND

  • Emails between Supervisor Betro and County personnel talk of:

  • a 125,000 square foot building to house the municipal solid waste processing facility

  • a size which is completely out of sync with the rural area - 125,000 square feet is TWICE AS BIG AS A FOOTBALL FIELD, and possibly 7 stories high (the equivalent of 2 utility poles)

  • a 25-year lease at a minimum, well in excess of the R&D project that is ‘on the table’

PLUS

  • The Town proposes changes to the law in order to NOT charge application fees for this new solid waste facility and NOT require Hughes to post bond against potential long-term impacts. (This despite Hughes’ claim that they have $90,000,000 in funding for the facility in Goshen.)

Greenwashing?

Biofuel pellets produced by this process cannot be called a renewable energy solution given the amount of fossil fuel required for the trucking and autoclave steam process.

Jobs?

The vast majority of the jobs for the facility would be temporary construction jobs, with a much smaller number of permanent jobs for specialized engineers and laborers.

Say “NO” to more solid waste facilities in Goshen!

WRITE to the Goshen Town Board at 41 Webster Avenue Goshen NY 10924. Directly address Town Supervisor Joseph Betro and Town Board Members Douglas Bloomfield, Philip Canterino, Richard Florio & George Lyons.

ATTEND the Town Board / Planning Board Meetings! - Meetings are held Thursdays at 7:30pm at Town Hall, 41 Webster Avenue Goshen NY 10924.

CALL the Town Board to make your concerns known - (845) 294-6250

●      Unproven Technology. The Hughes Autoclave technology is experimental and has yet to be approved in the U.S. - and seems to have failed in many European locations.

●      Diesel Truck Traffic. This project impacts many local communities: Goshen, Middletown, Wallkill, Chester, Campbell Hall, Wawayanda, Monroe, and more - with diesel trucks traveling on Routes 17m, Route 17, 84, Route 207.

●      Vehicle Accidents. Increased traffic from 18-wheeler trucks traveling single lane rural roads increases risks of traffic accidents.

●      The Town Board is looking to change our Solid Waste laws to allow Hughes Energy to come into Goshen, as well as other solid waste facilities, at the Town’s discretion – ANYWHERE in Goshen.