Latest news with #Massena
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Village, town of Massena support siting of nuclear plant in Massena
Jul. 27—MASSENA — Massena's village and town boards have thrown their support behind a proposal to site a nuclear facility in Massena. Mayor Gregory M. Paquin said he and Deputy Mayor Chad L. Simpson had attended a nuclear energy forum sponsored by Assemblyman Scott A. Gray , R-Watertown, earlier this month in Alexandria Bay. "I'm not going to lie. When I went up there, I had some reservations. My biggest thought was I was looking at how much water these facilities use. It's like 13 million gallons a day. I'm like, we can't do that. There would be no way," he said. But, Paquin said, that was no longer the case. "These new advanced, zero-emission, they don't necessarily use water to cool them. One guy that was there, he was from the United States Navy and he was part of their nuclear program. He talked about if we wanted to, we could put a nuclear power plant in the middle of Saudi Arabia and not have to use water. So, there's other methods. That was the one thing that I was like, all right, that kind of quelled my biggest fear because I'm sure there were a lot of sportsmen and stuff who were thinking, 'Hell no, we can't do that up here,'" he said. He said, as the presentation was taking place, he was on his phone searching the topic online so he could better understand it. "I always had the vision of a nuclear power plant that's Nine Mile down in Oswego. They make huge cooling towers. That's not what this would be. It basically would be an office building," Paquin said. He said it was up to them to educate the public about the nuclear power plants of today. "If we're going to continue to push for this and so forth, it's going to be imperative on us to educate the public well. I'm sure some of the speakers that were there would most definitely come talk to us about that as we go through the process because I know everyone has the vision of Fukushima exploding and stuff like that. One of things he said is no plan has ever failed because of the nuclear power. It's always failed because of human error and, because of those human errors, they've improved training time and time again," he said. "It's not the water guzzling nuclear power plants that you see down at Nine Mile and other places. This is a modern, modern facility with zero emissions." Paquin said he had talked with a representative of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. "He's very confident that there will be great support for that as well," he said. Trustees passed a resolution "supporting the development and construction of a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Massena." "The Village and Town of Massena stand at the forefront of New York State's energy future, committed to advancing sustainable solutions that address climate change, economic revitalization, and energy security and reliability. Massena boasts a strong legacy of industry, innovation, workforce resilience, and ample talented organized labor associations, as well as abundant land to accommodate a nuclear power plant," the resolution reads, noting that because Massena is home to the New York Power Authority's St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project, "Massena an ideal host for clean energy projects of strategic importance to the state." The Massena Town Council approved a similar resolution during their meeting the following night. Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor said she had a copy of the slides that were used during the Alexandria Bay presentation to share with anyone who was interested. "Very, very impressive," she said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Massena school board member shares concerns about weapons in school
Jun. 17—MASSENA — The Massena Central School Board has approved an agreement with the village to continue providing a school resource officer, but not without a concern from one of the board members. Although he voted to approve the agreement, Robert M. LeBlanc said he was concerned about the SRO carrying a weapon on school grounds. Michael A. Flynn, the Massena Police Department's juvenile officer, serves as the district's school resource officer under an agreement between the district and village. "You know, in the United States, the number one cause of death for kids are guns. So, I don't like guns on a property. I think having a gun permanently on a property is not right. It's not something I like," he said. LeBlanc said he likes the students being exposed to a police officer. "We're lucky to have a good guy. Mr. Flynn is a good guy, he said. But, having a weapon on school grounds didn't sit right with him. "I like when they come and they share their life with the police officer. But, I don't like guns," LeBlanc said. He said the police department was close enough that they could respond in an emergency situation. "I don't like the idea of the SRO. I think with the police station being in the middle of the school district, if there's an incident, there's going to be a team, not one guy, who's going to react to the incident. So, I don't think the idea of having an SRO is good," he said. However, LeBlanc joined with the board in unanimously approving the agreement. "I'm going to support the proposition. But, in general, I don't like guns on the property. I don't think it's a good idea," he said. The village and school district had signed an agreement in February 2024 for Flynn to also work as the school resource officer. The initial agreement provided a school resource officer from February 2024 to June 2024, and a second agreement was for Flynn to work as an SRO from July 2024 to June 2025. Flynn serves strictly in his juvenile officer position during the summer. Village trustees had approved the agreement, which runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, during their May meeting. The school district will be paying an additional $80,000 for the school resource officer under the agreement. "The contract with the village of Massena for our SRO shows an $80,000 increase this year. The village of Massena was arbitrarily charging us around $70,000 to $80,000. That's not the true cost of the SRO, and the village is basically requiring that if we want to maintain that relationship, that we do need to pay the full cost of the individual," Superintendent Ronald P. Burke had told school members during their May meeting. He said the village was picking up additional costs related to the SRO. "As you see, our SRO works on different days when school is not in session. We need to keep in mind that there is a little bit of give and take on this. We're not paying for the police vehicle. We are not paying for the equipment that the police officer has. We're not paying for the training. What we're paying for is a true cost of the personnel, not all the other materials that go along with that," Burke said.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Four indicted in drug cases
Jun. 6—CANTON — A St. Lawrence County grand jury on Tuesday handed up four indictments for drug possession. Jeyson Infante, 27, of Massena, was indicted by a St. Lawrence County Grand Jury on two counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and evidence tampering. He allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to sell it on April 7 in Massena. He is represented by attorney Nicole Duve. Three people were indicted as co-defendents in a methamphetamine case. Richard Bell, 55, of Massena, was indicted on one count of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, he allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell and cutting agents. He is represented by the St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office. Kay Bullock, 44, an inmate at St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, was indicted on one of count second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, she allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell. She does not have an attorney, according to court documents. Anthony Moselle, 55, an inmate at St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, was indicted on one count second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, he allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell. He is represented by attorney Brian Barrett.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Rivers, Fort Covington solar projects moving forward
May 24—MASSENA — Boralex Inc. has entered into a Renewable Energy Standard Agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to move two proposed solar projects forward — Two Rivers Solar Project in the towns of Massena and Brasher and Fort Covington Solar Farm in Fort Covington. Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul announced Thursday that contracts had been executed for 26 projects that, when completed, will provide more than 2.5 gigawatts of clean energy, which she said is enough to power more than 670,000 homes in the state. In addition, Hochul said, the projects will create more than 1,900 near-term, family-supporting jobs, and generate more than $6 billion in private investment. The contracts were awarded as part of NYSERDA's 2024 Renewable Energy Standard Competitive Solicitation for the purchase of New York Tier-1 Eligible Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Each REC represents the environmental attributes of 1 megawatt-hour of electricity generated from an eligible renewable source such as solar energy "This is very exciting news for our town and the state as it looks to achieve its climate goals," Brasher Town Supervisor Mark A. Peets said. "Throughout the development of this project, Boralex has done an excellent job communicating the benefits to our community. They've listened to our concerns and, more importantly, made meaningful project changes that have helped build trust and support. We look forward to the hundreds of construction jobs, and tens of millions of dollars in economic development these projects will provide." "These developments are great news for our community and the surrounding area," Massena Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor said. "I very much look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between Boralex and our town, and I'm excited about the long-term positive economic impact the project will have — not only for the participating landowners, but the broader community." Boralex US Development LLC filed an application with the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) in January for the proposed solar facility in the towns of Brasher and Massena. The permit application is currently under review by ORES. The Two Rivers Solar Project will be an approximately 200-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility located on approximately 1,000 acres of land. Project representatives had provided an overview of the plans during two open houses, one in September in Brasher and another in April 2024 at the Massena Community Center. The project, which Boralex originated in 2021, will include solar arrays and other project infrastructure such as the site roads, substation, and electrical interconnection to the New York Power Authority's new 345-kilovolt circuit. The project will create approximately 150 jobs during construction, as well as two to three long-term jobs to support operations and maintenance. Officials said during the open house that they were committed to developing a local workforce and using local workers as much as possible. In addition, the project will boost the local economy and add commerce for local businesses during construction and operation, and will provide significant tax revenues to the towns of Massena and Brasher, St. Lawrence County and local school districts. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with commissioning expected in 2028. More information about the project can be found at The Two Rivers Solar Project and Fort Covington Solar Farm were among seven north country projects that entered into contracts. Others included the Lyons Falls Mill Repower in Lewis County and Tracy Solar Energy Center in Jefferson County, as well as projects in Essex and Clinton counties.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Massena Central superihtendent addresses capital project public concerns
May 11—MASSENA — With the vote coming up this month for a proposed $79.8 million capital project, Massena Central School Superintendent Ronald P. Burke addressed what he saw as some of the public's concerns during the school board's monthly meeting. "When we talk about that $80 million project, it's an investment in our facilities, to maintain our facilities, to keep our facilities viable for student occupation, and for teachers and staff to be in our buildings. Just like your houses, we have to do maintenance. This is really not a glamorous project. When this project ends, I'm not sure who's going to want to come for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It's not real pretty," he said. But, he added, "There are things in our capital project that people are going to argue about and think are unnecessary. One of them, and I'll just pull the bandage back here right now, and that is the turf," he said. The turf field had been installed in 2009, at a time when current school board member Timothy J. Hayes was serving as the district's athletic director. It was first used in September 2009 for a varsity football game. "The turf is at the end of its life expectancy. When that turf was put in, it probably had a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years and we're there. When it gets to the point that it fails the compression test, we can't use it," Burke said. He said it's not a matter of "just pulling the carpet out and throwing grass seed down." "The sub base of the turf field is not the sub base for a grass field. So, if that turf fails and we have to replace it and the community says we want grass, we can do grass. But, it means a whole rebuild of that area," he said. "At some point, the community decided they wanted the turf. They felt that was the investment for the future, and it was also hopefully expressed that there's an ongoing maintenance cost to this. Every decade or so you're going to be re-pulling that out and putting new carpet down." Another portion of the project would address bus electrification at the district's bus garage. "That is about a $2.4 million proposition of that $80 million, and I think enough people have heard me already talk about my concern about electric buses and the whole process. However, as of last night, we had very firm deadlines. The original deadline to purchase electric buses was 2027. You could ask for a waiver for two years. So, by 2029 you could not purchase anything but an electric bus. They're not going to make diesels. They're not going to be allowed to be sold to schools in New York state. That is state law," Burke said. "The other part is that by 2035 whatever diesel or gasoline buses you're running, you no longer are allowed to use. Every bus has to be electric." He said they were planning for a worst-case scenario by including the electrification in the capital project. "I'm going to call it the way I see it. I look at this as our worst-case scenario that nothing changes with the law So, that $2.4 million is a really a plan. We'll plan for it. We will identify how we're going to electrify and put the charging stations where they're going to go. But, when it comes time for this, we're not going to go out for bid on this project until late 2026 or early 20276. My hope is that the law truly changes and just because it's there doesn't mean we have to use it," Burke said. He said, if the law changes and the school board agrees, the district will continue to use the conventional buses. "We will scrap that $2.4 million electrification plan and we'll go to Plan B. Plan B is our diesel, our gasoline tanks are now approaching the 20-year mark, and we know that about year 25 we're probably going to be ordered by the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) to replace those. So, instead of spending $2.4 million on electrification, hopefully we're talking about a price tag of somewhere around maybe a half a million to three-quarters of a million to replace those two tanks," he said. He said they had to include the electrification in case it was included in the state budget, which had not yet been approved when the school board met. "We're going to be voting in less than two weeks. We had to include that because we have no idea where the budget was going to go or how the law could possibly change," Burke said. The pool and the girl's locker room also needed to be addressed, he said. "I think there are some things that are truly essential, and then we're always going to have some disagreement about is that line item really necessary or not necessary," he said. Isabel Beard, the student representative to the school board, agreed that the project was necessary. She said her math teacher had to move to the computer lab because "there was literally stuff falling from the ceiling and causing students to cough." "So, I think, coming from a student perspective, living in the school almost eight hours every day, five days a week, while it looks nice on the outside, you really start to notice the issues in the school. So, while I think there might be some debate on the justification for what we're looking to improve, I think the improvements are necessary," she said.
