Hydro-fracking - Last call for proposed regulation comments!

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released the draft supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Oil and Gas Drilling in New York State on September 30 of this year. These proposed guidelines specifically identify procedures for high volume hydro-fracking shale formations, including the Marcellus formation. There is quite a bit of debate on the potential water quality and infrastructure impacts of drilling into the Marcellus Shale formations. These proposed regulations will have significant impacts on how oil and gas exploration will be handled in the Finger Lakes watersheds. There are many properties that already have signed exploration leases in the Owasco Lake Watershed.

Please become informed and send your comments to the DEC and your elected officials.

All comments on the proposed regulations are due by the end of the day 12/31/09.

Information from the NYS DEC on the DSGEIS:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/58440.html

Information on CCE’s Hydro-fracking campaign:

www.citizenscampaign.org/marcellus

See our earlier blog on this important topic:
http://owlanews.blogspot.com/2009/10/gas-drilling-in-marcellus-shale-of.html

Submit comments to the DEC:

• Email: dmnsgeis@gw.dec.state.ny.us
• Online: www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/SGEISComments/
• Written: ATTN: dSGEIS Comments, Bureau of Oil & Gas Regulation, NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources, 625 Broadway, Third Floor, Albany, NY 12233-6500

Please call or write:

• Governor Paterson: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/index.html
• Your NYS Assembly member: To find out who your Assembly member is and their phone number, visit: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
• Your NYS Senator: To find out who your Senator is and their phone number, visit: http://www.nysenate.gov/senators

Asian Carp threaten the Great Lakes and potentially the Finger Lakes

Several states and concerned citizen groups are seeking help from the Federal Government to stop the migration of this invasive species into the Great Lakes and waterways of the North East. Various mid-west states have already initiated law suits seeking blockage of infected waterways that connect with the Great lakes.

This is a threat that we also need to be very conscious of in the Finger Lakes. We encourage you to become more informed on the issue and urge our representatives in Washington to support controls on this serious threat to Upstate NY's fisheries.

Description of the Threat from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission:

Asian carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes because of their size, fecundity, and ability to consume large amounts of food. Asian carp can grow to 100 pounds and up to four feet. They are well-suited to the cold water climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar to their native Eastern Hemisphere habitats. It is expected that they would compete for food with the valuable sport and commercial fish. If they entered the system, they would likely become a dominant species in the Great Lakes.

Two species of Asian carp-the silver and the bighead carps-escaped into the Mississippi River from southern aquaculture facilities in the early 1990s when the facilities were flooded. Steadily, the carp have made their way northward, becoming the most abundant species in some areas of the Mississippi, out-competing native fish, and causing severe hardship to the people who fish the river. The Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal connects the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes. Currently, the carp are in the canal and have been sighted approximately 40 miles from Lake Michigan.

Links to more information on the Asian Carp threat:

http://www.asiancarp.org/rapidresponse/

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/79646167.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-asian-carp-suit-22-dec22,0,4864610.story

http://www.outdoorsniagara.com/asiancarp.htm

Planning for Owasco Lake Day 2010 - Looking for interested volunteers!

Dear OWLA members,

Many OWLA members were unable to attend the meeting on December 3, so I offered to send an update and review of the Lake Day 2010 discussions and to ask for input from members.

During the meeting Kathy Cappella distributed copies of a draft outline that she proposed (attached). After much discussion, the date for Lake Day that appeared to work best is Thursday, July 1, 2010, from about 4 pm to 7:30 pm., and everyone agreed that we should expand the event to include more community and area participants. The proposal also includes formation of a “Leadership Team” to carry out the goals of the event. Joe Wasileski, Sue Muldoon, Stas’ Kott, Kathy Cappella and I have already agreed to be on the team, and we welcome other OWLA members to join us. If you are interested, please let me know and also state the area of participation you would like to lead.

Please take a few minutes review the attached proposal and send me your thoughts and ideas for Lake Day 2010. Kathy and I will then update the proposal so that we can move forward early in 2010 to make this the best Owasco Lake Day ever.

I know this is a busy time of year for everyone, but if you can send comments, ideas, suggestions by December 15, it will help us move forward.

Many thanks,

Norma Leone

Please e-mail us at OWLANEWS@gmail.com if you would like more information or get to contact Norma Leone.