Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
Chronicle reporter Ben Westcott writes: The Chronicle reached out to local elected officials asking their thoughts on the announcement that the WIN Waste trash-to-energy plant at 93 River St. in Hudson Falls aims to close by year end.
Bob Henke, the Argyle Town Supervisor who chairs the Washington County Board of Supervisors, said, “I find it very interesting that some of the people who are celebrating the closure of the plant are the same ones lamenting landfills and touting energy recovery back when it was being built. Now, apparently, landfilling is okay.
“Philosophy aside, my biggest concern is the shrinking of options for the average person to handle their solid waste problems.
“Everything from privatizing the transfer stations to the Wheelabrator closure is mitigating against small private trash haulers or individuals disposing of their own refuse. This will shift even more of the business to large commercial enterprises and will increase costs to an already fiscally strapped population. Monopolies are rarely munificent.”
He added, “When disposal costs increase, illegal dumping increases, which increases governmental costs for enforcement, clean-up, and administration. This adds to the tax burden amounting to a double whammy for taxpayers.”
Where will the waste go that WIN Waste currently collects? “I presume to the transfer area in Saratoga County (the Green Ridge landfill in Gansevoort operated by Waste Management) and/or to the big landfills in Seneca and Erie Counties.
“With fuel and mandatory wage increases, hauling it is definitely going to increase costs. What the multiplier to consumer level is going to be remains to be seen.”
Town of Kingsbury Supervisor Dana Hogan, told The Chronicle, “The decision by WIN Waste to close the Hudson Falls facility is certainly significant for our community and the entire region. We have to respect a private company’s right to make decisions based on their long-term economics and future viability of its operation.
“At the same time, the closure creates some very real issues that cannot be ignored. The facility handles a great deal of waste each year, so we need to understand where that waste will go, what the additional costs will be for municipalities and taxpayers, and what impact transporting that waste to other facilities will have. Most importantly, there are employees and their families who will be directly impacted, and they will feel this more than anyone.
“The bottom-line, this closure will have significant economic and environmental consequences for the entire region.”
Hudson Falls Mayor John Barton had not responded to a request for comment..
As for the tax impact of the incinerator’s closure, WIN Waste Public Affairs VP Mary Urban told The Chronicle the burn plant paid $517,000 in property taxes in 2025: $183,105.30 to Hudson Falls Central School, $177,318.15 to the Town of Kingsbury, and $156,268.96 to the Village of Hudson Falls.
Washington County Treasurer Al Nolette told The Chronicle, “Something important to note, as many people are not properly informed, is that the revenue is not ‘lost.’ The amounts paid by Wheelabrator previously are just spread out to the other taxpayers.”
Copyright © 2026 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserve
