Hughes Energy Group is a for-profit company proposing a 160,000 square foot waste processing plant on raw, undeveloped land at the edges of rural Roxbury and Prattsville, NY.  The plant would be designed to take in up to 175,000 tons of garbage per year to be turned into biofuel via an autoclave steam process. The byproduct turned into paper products, recycled plastics, or turned into biofuel pellets.

While responsible, innovative green energy alternatives are needed, the proposed location is too risky a place to debut large-scale Autoclave technology due to its proximity to wetlands, wildlife, protected rivers, and New York City’s drinking water. Trucking in such high volumes of garbage from surrounding areas would endanger our ecosystem and wildlife, pollute our air, and offset any environmental good this project hopes to bring.

To transport such massive amounts of garbage into and through the Catskills (up to 175,000 tons per year), solid waste would need to be sourced and brought to the plant. Any Catskill town with a major traffic artery could be adversely affected by this increase in truck traffic. Some towns likely to be seriously affected by this proposal include: Prattsville, Grand Gorge, Roxbury, Lexington, Windham, Ashland, Conesville, Stamford, Blenheim, Preston Hollow, Hunter, Margaretville, Jefferson, Middleburg, Schoharie and many others.

We call on our elected officials, agencies, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to reject this proposal for the myriad of ways it could harm our environment and collective well-being. We believe that there are number justice and environmental issues at stake including:

1. Potential for risks and accidents at the plant and with increased garbage truck traffic.
2. We do not know the long-term effects or vulnerabilities of this technology or process and Hughes Energy has never operated a plant at this volume for any extended period of time.
3. The project’s full carbon footprint and impact.
   Trucking in garbage and recyclables through mountains and protected forests into a rural area is a dubious way to reduce the carbon footprint.
4. Our small town infrastructure is not equipped to handle such high volume industry. Giant garbage trucks operating on small two-lane roads will have a heavy impact on wildlife and livability in the area.
5. The historic Catskills should not become a garbage hub for New York State. Unspoiled nature is our greatest resource and is what attracts jobs, employment, people, and tourism to the area.

WAYS TO HELP
Please sign and share our petition if you agree: Don’t Trash the Catskills. Leave a comment with the town you live in. Help us take a stand to protect the future of our mountaintop community.

For more detailed information, updates, and elected officials to reach out to, visit http://bit.ly/nohughes.

Attend Town public hearings in Prattsville and Roxbury. 
Your voice will make a difference! 

**UPCOMING DATES**
PRATTSVILLE
8/19 - Prattsville Public Information Meeting for Hughes Energy Group - 6pm @Prattsville Hose Company
Virtual Zoom Meeting ID: 819 4891 5333 Passcode: 052572
+1 646-876-9923

Town Meetings: 2nd Monday of every month

ROXBURY
8/27 - Roxbury Public Information Meeting for Hughes Energy Group - 7pm @Grand Gorge Civic Center
Virtual Zoom Meeting ID: 577 886 0745 Passcode: 40659
+1 646-876-9923

Town Meetings: 2nd Monday of every month