If knowledge is the foundation of education, it appears that the decisions being made by elected officials in the Town of Moreau and South Glens Falls are rooted in ignorance.
It raises questions as to why both the Town of Moreau board and the Village of South Glens Falls are contemplating a moratorium for the industrial park concerning the Saratoga Biochar project, yet neither board has extended an invitation for a presentation by Saratoga Biochar. The state has kept an open mind about the project and has set out some trust but verify guidelines for them moving forward. To date, the only other government entity in my town and area that has officially engaged with Saratoga Biochar in public meetings about their project is the town’s planning board—not the town board, village board, county board, city councils, or any other relevant regional government authorities. The lack of engagement prompts one to wonder: what are they afraid of, that the unfiltered truth might alter their perspective? That they might feel embarrassed to embrace the greenest factory being built in New York state with a sustainability record of -137 in green house emissions. Or that the company is going to take toxic crap from humans and turn it into gold that helps improve soil for food and trees and water by stopping leaching of chemical fertilizers. The main benefactor of this project is not Saratoga biochar but New York State, Saratoga County and the town of Moreau taxpayer.
It’s perplexing that these boards seem inclined to heed the perspectives of the “NOT Moreau, NIMBY” faction, replete with fabricated facts and innuendo, while steadfastly refusing to seek input from the actual company possessing real facts and information about the project. True fairness and transparency in representing taxpayers would necessitate engaging with both sides of the discourse.
The new town board supervisor’s willingness to allocate resources, including unlimited overtime pay for employees and contractors, to ostensibly undermine one company, Saratoga Biochar is concerning. The apparent lack of consideration for factual information and the potential repercussions on taxpayers raises ethical questions. From my experience on the village board, singling out a specific project or business exposes the municipality to legal action, and the source of funds for legal fees and overtime pay warrants scrutiny. Moreover, the potential loss of income from the recent factory closure begs the question of whether taxes will be raised for the broader community, impacting 17,000 residents to appease 2,000, a consideration not explicitly conveyed during their election campaign.
Bottom line is ...Saratoga biochar is a safe and cool project that’s going to change the farming, gardening and soil remediation industry... While bringing green industry and green jobs to Saratoga County.
- Brigid Martin, Yes Moreau founder and pro-town advocate
