Hughes Energy, LLC
Proposed Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility
Hughes Energy, LLC has applied for an Air State Facility permit, a Solid Waste Management Facility permit, a Stream Disturbance permit, a Section 401 Water Quality Certification, and a Stormwater State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) general permit required for activities associated with stormwater discharges. Hughes Energy, LLC is proposing to construct and operate a new "waste to energy" municipal solid waste (MSW) management facility with a proposed annual maximum throughput of 176,400 tons. The proposed location is 40659 Route 23, Grand Gorge, in the Town of Roxbury, Delaware County.
The facility has been designed to recycle municipal solid waste through a proprietary high-speed compositing system (the Wilson System®) that steam-cleans the MSW and breaks down organics (e.g., food, paper, and cardboard) within an autoclave environment to manufacture a pelletized biomass fiber that is sold as a commodity for fuel, power, and heat. There is no incineration or combustion of municipal solid waste in the proposed manufacturing process, and the feedstock is limited to municipal solid waste. Unauthorized waste that is not accepted as feed stock includes friable asbestos-containing material, mercury-added consumer products, radioactive waste, sludges, infectious and regulated medical waste, and hazardous wastes.
All municipal solid waste processing activities are proposed to be conducted indoors. No material is proposed for outside storage or handling.
Permit Application Status
DEC has been designated the Lead Agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) for this proposed action, and has determined that the proposal has the potential for at least one significant adverse environmental impact. Accordingly, DEC has issued a Positive Declaration pursuant to SEQR, thus requiring an Environmental Impact Statement to be prepared for the project.
As Lead Agency, DEC prepared the Final Scoping Outline for the purpose of defining the necessary scope of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed project. The final scope was prepared in accordance with State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) regulations and incorporates substantive public input received on the draft scope.
The scoping document describes the content and format of the DEIS and will be used by DEC to determine when the prepared DEIS is adequate for public review.
SEQR Documents
Draft Environmental Impact Statement Final Scoping Outline (PDF) - November 2021
Draft Scoping Document (PDF) - October 2021
SEQR Positive Declaration (PDF) - September 2021
Where to Find Project Information - Document Repositories
Commissioners Policy (CP-29) on Environmental Justice and Permitting applies to this proposed facility and the applicant has developed a Department-approved Public Participation Plan, consistent with CP-29, to ensure community participation in the environmental review process. Documents related to this facility are available for public review at the following designated document repositories:
Roxbury Town Hall
53690 NY-30
Roxbury, NY 12474
Prattsville Town Hall
14517 Main St
Prattsville, NY 12468
Project documentation is available to download from Hughes Energy's website (leaves DEC's website). Scroll to the "Request to Download Key Documentation" section.
Contact: Kate Kornak, NYSDEC, 1130 North Westcott Road, Schenectady, NY 12306, E-mail: [email protected]
