BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI

North Country This Week

MASSENA — Officials with Air Products and Chemicals, a green hydrogen production company, say an environmental review of the proposed site on Pontoon Bridge Road still needs to be completed.

Director of Governmental Relations Trip Oliver told attendees at a recent public hearing that the company had submitted an application to the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) for the construction of the 88.6 acre facility.

Due to a jurisdictional issue, Oliver said the approval for an environmental review has been briefly delayed but ultimately will not affect the construction of the project.

Representatives with the Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Environmental Conservation debated who should handle the environmental review, with the DEC finally receiving the go ahead stemming from a recent Supreme Court decision.

“The Army Corps has to send a letter to the DEC basically granting them authority to make that wetland determination. So it’s just a matter of time. We’ve actually had preliminary conversations with the DEC. I don’t really see any issues with wetland determinations,” Oliver said.

Site clear will happen over the next few months, though until the environmental review can be completed, work will be limited, Oliver said.

One issue is the Army Corps must complete wetland determinations, which Air Products should receive in the next month or so, he said.

According to Oliver, the $500 million facility will produce 36 metric tons of green hydrogen every day and will be powered with renewable power supplied by the New York Power Authority.

The facility will also produce hydrogen with no carbon emissions, utilizing hydropower created with the St. Lawrence River, officials say.

According to Oliver, part of the environmental review encompasses the discharge of water into the power canal.

“That requires what’s called a Wastewater Discharge Permit from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. We’re still going through that process. They haven’t actually issued the permit yet,” he said.

“We don’t anticipate any issues with that. The water that we are discharging is basically cooling water that will actually be cleaned up before it gets put into the river and it will be much cleaner than the water that we withdrew from the river. So as far as environmental impacts, they’re very few,” he continued

The facility, which will be one of the most advanced in the world, will also be supplied water by the village of Massena in a deal that will net the village $300,000 per year.

Though village officials say there will be ample water for both residents and the facility, Mayor Greg Paquin made it clear that “residents will come first” in the event that a supply issue arises.

Money raised from the sale of water is expected to lower water and sewer rates for residents while also allowing the village to invest in and upgrade water and sewer lines, as well as the water treatment facility.

The facility is expected to be completed and online in late 2026.

As part of the deal with the IDA, Air Products is seeking a 20-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), which also ties into the environmental review process.