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Crestwood’s opportunity to appeal permit denial passes; marking end of long-term fight along Seneca Lake

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The time for Crestwood Midstream’s subsidiary Finger Lakes LPG to appeal the Department of Environmental Conservation’s denial of a permit for underground gas storage along the shores of Seneca Lake expired on December 14, 2018. “Now that we are sure Crestwood cannot challenge the Commissioner’s decision, we can mark our final victory in an 8-year epic David vs. Goliath battle... more

Comptroller says landfills cost local government big over time

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Dinapoli: Landfills cost local government big over time
Local governments that own landfills face nearly $300 million in estimated long-term costs for their active and closed landfills, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Much of these costs are associated with the decades-long monitoring and maintenance required to prevent waste and contaminants from seeping into groundwater. “Owning a landfill can generate significant revenues,... more

After new infestation found on Cayuga Lake, experts warn of hydrilla spreading

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After new infestation found on Cayuga Lake, experts warn of hydrilla spreading
A new infestation of hydrilla, an invasive species of plant that can choke waterways with its rapid growth, was found on Cayuga Lake in October, prompting experts Wednesday to warn about the plant’s ability to spread. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes the aquatic plant as “the world’s worst invasive plant,” largely for its extreme ability to reproduce. Like... more

Slowing Aquatic Invasive Spread in 2019: NY Sea Grant Watercraft Inspection webinar series starts January 17th

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Slowing Aquatic Invasive Spread in 2019: NY Sea Grant Watercraft Inspection webinar series starts January 17th
The 2019 edition of the Watercraft Inspection Program Leader educational webinar series developed by New York Sea Grant and featuring coastal science and AIS specialists begins on January 17 and will connect participants from multiple states. Four sessions in the webinar series will address issues associated with recreational boating as a key pathway in the spread of aquatic invasive species... more

Annual meeting highlights farmers’ work to protect Skaneateles watershed

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Annual meeting highlights farmers’ work to protect Skaneateles watershed
Farmers from across central New York gathered in Skaneateles Tuesday to discuss the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program’s work in 2018 to protect the lake. Founded in 1994 by the city of Syracuse, SLWAP is a voluntary program that works with farmers within the Skaneateles Lake watershed across parts of Cayuga, Cortland and Onondaga counties to protect water quality. At... more

Concord grape growers get New York state help

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Concord grape growers get New York state help
New York is spending $1.3 million to support the state’s Concord grape industry. The money will go to the new Concord Vineyard Improvement Program at Cornell University. The program will help growers renovate vineyards, plant new vines or diversify their operations. New York’s $340 million Concord grape industry has had to endure lower prices tied to a drop in juice... more

Town of Seneca Falls appears in court over proposed Ludovico Sculpture Trail sewer line

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Town of Seneca Falls appears in court over proposed Ludovico Sculpture Trail sewer line
Members of the Seneca Falls Town Board never needed to actually read the resolutions they adopted this past Spring for a sewer line project requiring the use of eminent domain, the town’s special counsel told a panel of appellate justices Thursday. Instead, the board properly relied on its engineering and legal experts for guidance in picking the Frank J. Ludovico... more

Smith Solar Farm stalled by Farmington Planning Board

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Smith Solar Farm stalled by Farmington Planning Board
On Wednesday the Planning Board unanimously passed a resolution requesting numerous additional action items from Delaware River Solar regarding its proposed solar farm at Smith Farms. The resolution was passed regarding a proposed 31-acre solar project that is to generate 7 megawatts of energy. At Wednesday’s meeting, the resolution officially acknowledged that at this point Delaware River Solar has not... more

Auburn sewer system designed to minimize risk of overflows

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Auburn sewer system designed to minimize risk of overflows
As one of 600 municipalities with a combined sewer system in New York, the city of Auburn is required to submit reports through the NY-Alert system in the event of any overflow discharge. At a meeting of the Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency Thursday, Auburn Municipal Utilities Director Seth Jensen provided an explanation of combined sewer overflows. Under the... more

Ontario County weighs landfill stench

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Ontario County weighs landfill stench
Construction at the Ontario County landfill continues to plague communities around the facility in the town of Seneca with odor. On Thursday, the county Board of Supervisors will vote on hiring a consultant to assess “means and methods” being used to manage the stench. Landfill manager Casella Waste Systems blames the reek on an exposed old liner and delays in... more

End-of-season update on Cayuga Lake HABs monitoring set for next weekend

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End-of-season update on Cayuga Lake HABs monitoring set for next weekend
The Tompkins County Public Library will host a presentation next weekend on the first year of a program to monitor toxic Harmful Algal Blooms on Cayuga Lake. As part of the Community Science Institute’s Water and Community series, the library will hold a presentation on the first year of the HAB Monitoring Program on Cayuga Lake. Developed as a partnership... more

Thousands of gallons of sewage discharged into Skaneateles Creek

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Thousands of gallons of sewage discharged into Skaneateles Creek
Heavy rainfall and snow melt caused an estimated 858,000 gallons of partially treated sewage to discharge into Skaneateles Creek Sunday night over an 11-hour period, according to the NY-Alert system. Discharging the sewer overflow took place around 9 p.m. Sunday night. Sewer overflow includes discharge from sewer systems bringing stormwater runoff, domestic sewage and industrial wastewater into the treatment facility, according... more

Concerns raised over water level of Seneca Lake

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Concerns raised over water level of Seneca Lake
What a difference an inch makes when it come to the water level of Seneca Lake. For owners of big boats like Bill Mulvey of Geneva, that inch determines whether his boat and other large vessels can get under the bridges that span the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. Mulvey said if high water means pleasure boaters on Seneca Lake can’t fit under... more

Farmington residents split over proposed solar farm

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Farmington residents split over proposed solar farm
What could be one of the largest solar farms in the area is proposed in 40 acres in Farmington. It’s the size of the project, not the purpose, that has many worried. Signs of protest surround the Farmington field that could soon be home to 21,000 solar panels. “It will destroy this area of town,” argued Stacey Vandenburgh, who lives... more

Concerns raised about solar farms and agriculture

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Concerns raised about solar farms and agriculture
New York state is experiencing a surge in solar power farms, but while clean-energy proponents are supporting their growth, many are growing concerned about their impact on agricultural land. Such is the case with a $12 million, 7-megawatt solar project proposed by Delaware River Solar for more than 30 acres of farmland at the southwest corner of Fox and Yellow... more

THE DEBRIEF: Discussing CAFO regulation, HABs, and politics of Greenidge (podcast)

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LIVE AT 9:15 AM: Peter Mantius discusses latest environmental news on The Debrief (podcast)
This week on The Debrief Peter Mantius, founder of The Water Front, whose reporting is featured on FingerLakes1.com, joins Josh Durso to discuss a number of important, pressing political and environmental issues that have been grabbing headlines in the last several weeks. Watch the entire program below, or listen to the audio only version in the media player at the bottom... more

A year-round problem for many, CDC says 2017 a record year for tickborne illness reports

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A year-round problem for many, CDC says 2017 a record year for tickborne illness reports
Doreen Benschop recalls plucking dozens of ticks off her two dogs earlier this fall, after the pair got out to the woods behind her home. She says she wore several layers outside to keep ticks away when she brought the dogs back. “And then I came in and check myself, and inside my sweatshirt, under my raincoat. I found eight... more

Opponents alarmed over proposed 40-acre solar farm in Farmington

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Opponents alarmed over proposed 40-acre solar farm in Farmington
The Farmington Zoning Board of Appeals Monday heard arguments from both sides regarding a requested variance for a proposed 7-megawatt solar project that covers approximately 40 acres of farmland. Delaware River Solar has proposed the site, located at the southwest corner of Yellow Mills Road and Fox Road on land owned by local farmers Roger and Carol Smith. There are... more
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