Greenidge is an old coal power plant with an already bad environmental history. Once mothballed, it was converted to a gas fired plant for use as a “peaker plant”- to only be used when excess energy was needed by the public, and not run continually. Now, its out of state owners at Atlas Holdings want to expand operations for a privately owned bitcoin operation which would consume enough power to fuel 93,000 homes. That’s bigger than 2 of Amazon’s immense data centers. This facility threatens the health of our air, our water, and the Finger Lakes’ thriving agricultural and tourism-driven economy.
The Greenidge Facility has a toxic legacy from its predecessor, which was a coal fired power plant. Cleaning up and closing the coal ash landfill and coal ash pond is vital to the health of Seneca Lake and the health of those who drink, cook with, bather, or recreate in Seneca Lake waters. Seneca Lake Guardian is working with other groups to ensure that this is cleaned up and closed safely.
Seneca Lake Guardian is working diligently to help close the Seneca Meadows Landfill (SMI) by 2025.
PFAS
Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances
What Are PFAS? PFAS are commonly called “forever chemicals” that have been discovered in nearly every human’s blood and have a number of negative health impacts. Seneca Lake Guardian has worked with other organizations to push for a lower acceptable limit of PFAS contamination in water by the state, worked on getting more PFAS testing within our community, better informing the public on PFAS contamination, remediation/ cleanup of these contaminants in our water.
A controversial 10-million-gallon manure lagoon that state officials had recently ruled to be in violation of state regulations is being constructed in Cayuga County. Manure is high in phosphorous and nitrogen, nutrients that are suspected fuels for HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms).
The Finger Lakes are facing an enormous environmental, public health and economic threat that few people know about. There is a new proposal to build a massive garbage incinerator in the town of Romulus, New York, less than 4 miles from the shores of Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. If approved, it would be built at the old Seneca Army Depot, just a few hundred yards away from the Romulus K-12 public school. It is also near Hillside Children’s Center, a residential facility for troubled youth, the 5 Points Correctional Facility, Willard Drug Treatment Center and the Seneca County Jail, making this an environmental justice issue.
