Dozens turned out to Emerson Park Friday afternoon to listen as officials decried the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) Monday decision not to amend the City of Auburn and Town of Owasco’s Owasco Watershed Rules & Regulations.
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino and City Councilor Terry Cuddy, Owasco Town Supervisor Ed Wagner, and Owasco Watershed Lake Association President Carol Sutkus held the press conference at the park to share their frustrations with the DOH’s decision and offer information on the steps forward in the fight to preserve the health of Owasco Lake and its watershed which serves as the source of drinking water for over 40,000 people.
Also in attendance were City Councilors Christina Calarco, Ginny Kent, and Dr. Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson, Cayuga County Health Department Executive Director Kathleen Cuddy, Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman, OWLA board members, and the commodore of the Owasco Yacht Club.
“We really need action now,” said OWLA President Carol Sutkus. “We have to curb the nutrients before they get into the lake.”
In a Monday letter to Giannettino and Wagner announcing its decision, the DOH claimed that “amendments are not necessary to ensure potable water quality for the foreseeable future.” Instead, the department states it will continue to work with the city, town, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Ag & Markets on other efforts to protect the lake.
The DOH’s decision comes four years after a three-year long communitywide process sought to revise the Rules & Regulations in light of harmful algal blooms (HABs) occurring annually and threatening the lake’s health. In 2020, both Auburn and Owasco voted in favor of the updates to the Rules and Regulations; however, the DOH has refused to adopt them.
After seven years of frustration and wasted taxpayers’ money… we followed the science, the science proved [the DOH] wrong, and now they don’t want to follow the process,” said Ed Wagner
Wagner also urged anyone who lives, works, drinks water from, or recreates on Owasco Lake to contact their state and federal representatives to share their concerns.
In an impassioned speech following Wagner, Giannettino expressed his severe frustration with what he called a betrayal by the state and vowed to do everything in his power to keep Owasco Lake a safe source of drinking water.
“It is time for the State of New York to stop playing games with the people of this community,” said Giannettino. “It is time for the State of New York to take our water quality seriously; it is time for them to take us seriously… I refuse to sit by and allow them to let Auburn become the next Toledo, Ohio, Flint, Michigan, or Jackson, Mississippi.”
To close his speech, Giannettino outlined his three requests for state officials
- The revisions to the Rules & Regulations be accepted and adopted without further revisions, as approved by the City of Auburn and the Town of Owasco
- A Total Maximum Daily Load be developed, adopted, implemented, and funded as required by federal law
- Governor Kathy Hochul come to Auburn to meet with Giannettino and Wagner so they can explain to her the urgency of the water quality crisis being faced by the city and town
Following the conference, Giannettino informed Finger Lakes News Radio that he has spoken with US Senators Chuck Schemer and Kirsten Gillibrand’s offices and that now may be time to get the federal government involved. He cited a federal clean-up plan implemented for the Chesapeake Bay, believing it may be necessary to have a similar plan for the 11 Finger Lakes.
Underscoring the fact that Owasco Lake is not the only waterbody in New York facing HABs, attendees included those from other Finger Lakes who see Owasco Lake as the “canary in the coal mine” for what the future holds for their lakes.
On the county side, McNabb-Coleman shared the speakers’ frustrations, telling Finger Lakes News Radio that the county is committed to helping the city and town protect their source of drinking water.
“This is a huge loss and a point of frustration for all of us, so we will continue to support efforts in order to get [the amendment process] back underway or whatever we can do to help preserve the health of this lake,” said McNabb-Coleman.
While not present at Emerson Park, Ian Phillips, the Democratic party’s nominee for the 126th Assembly District which includes part of Owasco Lake, released a statement echoing the sentiments of those at the park on Friday.
“The State’s decision to pull the plug on updating watershed rules to protect Owasco Lake is extremely disappointing and short sighted. I stand in full support of local officials and groups like the Owasco Watershed Lake Association and Save Owasco Now in their efforts to stand up to this failure to protect the drinking water for tens of thousands of New Yorkers.”
Earthjustice, the environmental law firm assisting Auburn, Owasco, and OWLA with their lawsuit against the state over the health of Owasco Lake, has been informed of the DOH’s decision and has been in contact with the three entities. The suit alleges that the DOH has violated the constitutional rights of Auburn and Owasco residents under the Environmental Rights Amendment to the state constitution which guarantees New Yorkers the right to clean drinking water.
On Tuesday, the day after the DOH sent its letter, two beaches on Owasco Lake were closed due to HAB outbreaks. The Cayuga County Health Department also confirmed the presence of HABs on Cayuga Lake.
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