MOREAU — Ongoing concerns about plans from Saratoga Biochar Solutions to build a plant to convert solid waste into fertilizer at Moreau Industrial Park have dominated the race for town supervisor — even after a lawsuit filed by the Clean Air Action Network to block the project failed in June.
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Jesse Fish, former town water superintendent who opposes the project, is facing off against three-term incumbent Republican and Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Kusnierz, who says he’s bound to follow the decision of the town Planning Board, which approved the $45 million project and declined to express overt support or opposition to it.
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“The Town Board played no role and plays no role in the decision of matters that come before the Planning Board,” Kusnierz said. “It would help me politically to come out with a strong position on where I am on Biochar but I have to do wht’s in the best interest of the town.
“If people would stop filing lawsuits I would be happy to comment on it,” he said.
Signs opposing the plant are a common sight in Moreau.
Fish, a Republican who has been endorsed by Democrats and is also running on the anti-Biochar Moreau United party line, rejected that. “ (Kusnierz) says the Planning Board approved it and we don’t have any control over the Planning Board. That’s true, but how much influence did he use?” Fish said. “I don’t think there was any transparency on his part. He should have told the people what he wanted to do.”
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“I’m doing my job by not opening us up to additional lawsuits,” Kusnierz said. “It’s the supervisor’s job to be the ambassador for the community. We have an industrial park that has one tenant and about to have two — no other administration has worked harder to get jobs.”
Fish admitted that because the Planning Board voted in favor of the proposal, there islittle he could do to stop the project from going forward if elected. “I can’t guarantee the people that we can walk in there and stop it,” Fish said.
But he said the state Department of Environmental Conservation still has the power to stop the plant as it conducts a review of the plan.
The DEC says it’s reviewing permit applications for the site. “If the permit applications are deemed complete, DEC will review for conformance with relevant statutes and regulations and solicit public comment on the proposed project. … DEC would review all comments received before making any final determination on the permit application,” the state agency said in a statement.
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Also at issue in the race are questions over whether Fish failed to collect water and sewer fees from a developer working on projects in the town when he was water superintendent. Kusnierz says an inquiry found that Fish failed to collect more than $1 million in sewer capacityfees and hookup fees and that undersized pipes were used in several projects dating to at least 2012.
Fish saidthat’s a lie and that any municipal fees are collected through the Building Department and the town clerk’s office.
“He’s trying to politically degrade me,” Fish said.
Early voting continues through Sunday in Saratoga County and statewide in limited polling places. Election Day is Tuesday at all polling places.
