Auburn City Officials, members from the Owasco Lake Watershed Association, Save Owasco Now, and Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting – an environmental database firm based out of Ithaca – held a press conference Thursday afternoon at Auburn Memorial City Hall to renew their call for Governor Kathy Hochul to protect not only Owasco Lake but all 11 Finger Lakes and other impacted waterbodies across the state from harmful algal blooms (HABs).
Hang and city officials are leading a statewide coalition demanding the governor adopt, fund, and implement watershed cleanup plans for waterbodies impaired by HABs which release toxic microcystins that can cause public health hazards.
88 HABs have been confirmed so far this year on Owasco Lake, the source of drinking water for over 45,000 people.
They are also calling on concerned citizens throughout the state to demand action from the governor by writing her a letter telling her to keep her 2023 promise that “No one in New York should ever fear that they don’t have access to clean water.” A template for this can be found here.
You can view the full conference below.
The city and neighboring Town of Owasco are no strangers to fighting with the state to combat HABs. In July, officials decried the state’s decision not to update the lake’s Rules & Regulations.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
.jpg){kind=link}