COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Cohoes is planning on buying and demolishing the Saratoga Sites public housing complex near the Norlite facility. The Cohoes Housing Authority is in the process of moving the residents out of the housing complex.

Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler wrote a letter to the Cohoes Housing Authority telling them of the city’s plans to buy the property. Once all the residents are moved out of the facility, the city plans to demolish it.

Norlite is a hazardous waste incineration facility. Some residents at Saratoga Sites have said that when the wind blows, dust blows into their homes from massive ash piles from the facility.

Keeler said the facility is currently under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and is undergoing a comprehensive regulatory review of its operating permits and oversight of its operations by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The city’s cost to purchase the property would be about $35,000. Demolition would be around $600,000. The purchase would require the approval of the Cohoes Common Council.

“Under the circumstances, the taxpayers of Cohoes should not have to bear the full cost of demolishing the property. We have begun consultations with federal and state elected officials to help identify funding to offset the demolition costs,” said Keeler in the letter.