Oct. 21--QUEENSBURY -- Great Escape has fallen behind on its bills with the Hudson Falls trash plant, prompting the bicounty IDA to consider asking the company for prepayment before returning to the facility.

According to the Warren-Washington Counties Industrial Development Agency, which owns the trash plant, Great Escape is between 60 and 90 days late on a $6,200 payment.

Rebecca Close, spokeswoman for Great Escape, said Tuesday that the company recently learned the payment was lost in the mail.

"We have resolved this issue and communicated with the county trash plant," Close said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the overdue check had not yet been received, according to Steve Lynch, a consultant hired by the counties and the IDA to handle trash plant contracts.

Lynch discussed the late payments with the IDA board this week and was directed to speak with the agency's legal counsel about how to proceed, given parent company Six Flags' bankruptcy filing on June 13. The IDA authorized Lynch either to terminate service or request prepayment from Great Escape, whichever seemed most appropriate.

Lynch noted that Great Escape's trash flow has slowed recently and will remain lower during the off-season.

Daily operations at the theme park end around Labor Day. The park remains open on weekends for its Fright Fest Halloween attraction, and for the first time this year, it will extend its season through Christmas for a Holiday in the Park event.

The indoor water park and lodge are year-round operations.

"My recommendation is that we don't terminate service, but we make them prepay with additional deliveries," Lynch told the IDA Monday evening.

If the $6,200 is paid in full, the agency might opt not to take any action.

Great Escape owes another $4,300 for bills that are either under 60 days late, or were incurred before Six Flags' Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.

Lynch said the IDA generally works with trash plant customers through the 60-day mark before taking action to collect payment. And bills leading up to a bankruptcy filing are protected, or frozen, while a company restructures in court.

Close, with Great Escape, said the IDA is aware of the steps to take for payment on bills that fall under the Chapter 11 protection.

Great Escape is one of more than 40 private customers, waste haulers and municipal agencies that have accounts with the Hudson Falls plant. Four accounts are more than 60 days delinquent.

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