| Doc. # 2009-
Issues Committee Meeting
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
March 10 , 2009
Seneca Falls (Cooperative Extension Office)
Present:Ruth Richardson (chair), Roxy Johnston, Hilary Lambert
& Maria Bachich (guest)
Absent: Keith Tidball (illness), Brian Boerman
(family illness), John Mawdsley (in England), Eric Reigel, and Chuck
Kroll
Meeting started: approximately 5:45 pm
Next Meeting: April 14th, 5:30 pm – 7; CLWN offices at Wells
College
Minutes:
There were two main agenda items:
1. Learn from Maria Bachich what type of monitoring she is spear
heading in the north/east portion of Cayuga Lake. Maria Bachich
came with maps to show the location of the feeder streams (the “direct
streams”) that she has now organized monitoring groups for.
She and her associated volunteers were trained by Steve Penningroth
at CSI. They have had intermittent funding (which caused a lapse
in sample continuity). Maria is a 40 year resident of Mill Creek.
Went away & came back recently. Found evidence that a farmer
upstream was contaminating the creek with manure by collecting from
larger farms and spreading their manure for them. According to Maria,
a neighbor (not Maria) call the DEC with this report; DEC came out
but essentially said they could do nothing (it was dark when they
arrived and, although the rep said unless they can see it entering
the stream that they couldn’t do anything. That is when Maria
decided (about 1.5 years ago) to form a monitoring group called
the Direct Stream Monitors for direct feeder creeks on the NE side
of the lake. The four creeks are around Poplar Ridge and they are:
Dean Creek (3 locations), Mill Creek (4 locations), Town Line Creek
(actually unnamed creek by right at Town Line Road), and Paynes
Creek & tributaries (4 locations). She also said that Bill Hecht
was thinking of starking another monitoring group.
2. Discuss gas drilling of the Marcellus Shale formation as a potential
watershed issue.
Roxy, Hillary & Ruth stayed to discuss the threats to the watershed
presented by the proposed Gas Drilling operations in the area (especially
hydraulic fracturing – aka hydrofracking or frac’ing
– in the Marcellus Shale formation). The fracing water treatment
may be conducted by wastewater treatment plants (the Ithaca Area
WWTP – IAWWTP) recently said they wouldn’t take it but
if the company pretreated they may consider it. Other WWTPs are
being approached by gas drilling companies for fracing water treatment.
See my minutes from the gas drilling meeting in Spencer for details
on these issues of gas companies not disclosing the chemicals used
in fracing fluids.
The Great Lakes Compact reportedly has a regulation against importing
and exporting water (Susan Riha had mentioned).
In Roxy’s opinion (generally agreed by Ruth & Hillary)
is that we are coming to this issue somewhat late to be at the forefront.
There are several other groups (ShaleShock; WRC is forming subcommittee
(chaired by Liz Cameron, director of Tompkins Cty DOH); Pennsylvania
Coop Extension (excellent info on issue). Even though we are a bit
late, it might still be an issue on which we want to take up an
advocacy position.
As for what communities can do, Caroline has demanded pre &
post testing of drinking water wells; they also educated folks on
what the gas companies would try and tell you.
Meeting adjourned at 6:50 pm
Next Meeting: April 14th, 5:30 pm at CLWN offices in Wells.
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