News

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Please sign on to protect the Finger Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed!

Two Ways To Lend your Support

Seneca Lake Guardian has recently learned of an ill-conceived plan to convert prime agricultural land into a needless, environmentally and economically dangerous garbage and construction/ demolition debris facility in Schuyler County- the heart of the Finger Lakes.

This Finger Lakes power plant wants to add a Bitcoin mine

With water being traded on the stock exchange, the Finger Lakes continues to fight to protect the largest water body solely within the state’s borders — Seneca Lake — from a savvy new Bitcoin deal that has far-reaching implications across New York.

Greenidge Bitcoin Fracked Gas Power Plant

Action Toolkit

Here are some tips and tools to help us fight the expansion of the Greenidge plant.

Facts Matter

Greenidge Bitcoin Mining Expansion

Greenidge Generation has been hard at work trying to discredit environmental advocates, residents, and business owners who are working to inform the public, by accusing them of spreading false information. We take these attacks on the credibility we’ve spent decades earning seriously, and we must respond to these claims, point by point, because facts matter.

Cryptocurrency Mining, An Emerging and Unregulated Industry?

LISTEN: WRFI Radio and Peter Mantius

Greenidge Generation LLC is a natural gas power plant that’s mining cryptocurrency on an industrial scale, and Greenidge aims to expand its operations.Torrey is a small, rural town in the heart of the Finger Lakes, situated on the west side of Seneca Lake.The Planning Board is reviewing a site plan application for Greenidge at it’s meeting on April 19th.

Town of Torrey Planning Board Approved Greenidge Site Plan in 4-1 Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Town Of Torrey Planning Board Votes To Approve Greenidge’s Buildout Of Bitcoin On Seneca Lake

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that last night, the Town of Torrey Planning Board completely ignored the concerns raised by the community and their legal right to take a number of steps to review the Greenidge build out, and instead voted 4-1 to approve Greenidge's site plan.

Connections: A debate over crypto currency

Listen

Crypto currency has made significant gains in the last six months and is more popular than ever. But to obtain certain forms of currency like Bitcoin, mathematical experts have to perform complex computer equations.

We discuss how it works, why they there is opposition, and why crypto has been so hot.

Important Organizational Sign On Letter

Climate Busting Cryptocurrency

We urge you to sign on to this letter urging New York to take a pause and study the impacts that proof of work cryptocurrency mining has on climate, air, water, and health before it expands across the state. If this issue is not yet on your radar, it absolutely must be now.

Help Collect Data on Seneca Lake Fish Health May 29-31

Join us May 29-31 in conducting a fish health survey during the National Lake Trout Derby on Seneca Lake.

DEC Rally

Buses Provided to DEC Headquarters Rally 6/5 2-4

We are offering transportation via bus from Watkins Glen with several pickup stops along the west side of Seneca Lake en route to Avon, NY.
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Important Organizational Sign On Letter

Climate Busting Cryptocurrency

We urge you to sign on to this letter urging New York to take a pause and study the impacts that proof of work cryptocurrency mining has on climate, air, water, and health before it expands across the state. If this issue is not yet on your radar, it absolutely must be now.

Join us August 2nd-Oppose Landfill Expansion

On Wednesday, August 2nd at 11 am, Waste Connections is hosting a public meeting at Seneca Falls Community Center to discuss its plans to expand New York’s largest landfill.

Join Us In Geneva

Please join us TOMORROW, Wednesday June 28th in Geneva at the gazebo in front of the Geneva Welcome Center, 35 Lakefront Drive* at 11:30 to say GET OUT GREENIDGE!

Join us Tuesday, 9/5 in Seneca Falls

The Seneca Falls Town Board is considering a new Host Community Agreement with Texas-based Waste Connections that could extend the life of NY's largest landfill beyond its planned closure date of 2025, bringing in more profit to the town, in exchange for polluting the state for 15 more years.

Last Call for Commenting on NY’s Solid Waste Plan and its Impact on Seneca Meadows

Last Day for Comment Thursday, June 29th

Until June 29, the Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comments on the Draft Solid Waste Management Proposal. We need YOU to submit a comment.

Opportunity To Advocate for Safer Drinking Water!

Rob and Dharma at EANY are working on legislation for the upcoming session that would require testing for dozens of contaminants, including all PFAS- the forever chemical. Rob and Dharma are looking for private well owners that would be interested in sharing their experiences.

Our air. Our water. Our vote.

This fall, New Yorkers will have the historic opportunity to enshrine the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment into the Bill of Rights of the New York State constitution.

Outrageous. Two Meetings on the Landfill scheduled this week

We know how difficult it is to plan on attending one evening meeting in a week let alone two, and perhaps that is exactly why the Seneca Falls Town Board scheduled a meeting to review the Town's revised Comprehensive Plan the day before the already publicized public input meeting scheduled by the landfill.

PLEASE Call Governor Hochul TODAY!

Now's the time to keep that pressure going by calling Governor Hocul. Our friends at Food and Water Watch have set up a call line to do just that!

Please Sign on and Share Widely: Shut Seneca Meadows Landfill in 2025!

One of our major concerns is the growing amount of trash at the northern gateway to the Finger Lakes: Seneca Meadows Landfill (SMI). We invite you to sign on to a letter to Governor Hochul, urging her to close Seneca Meadows Landfill in 2025 as planned. 
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Urgent: Assembly Vote Today

Call your Assembly Person Now!

TODAY (Tuesday, June 19th) - We have an opportunity to kill the proposed garbage burning facility in Romulus, NY, if we act swiftly. There are bills proposed ( S8109b/A11214) which, if passed in the Assembly and the Senate, then signed by Governor Cuomo, would prohibit garbage incineration in the Finger Lakes.

Save the Finger Lakes

Stop the Incinerator

It has been such a beautiful beginning of summer in the Finger Lakes. Clean air and clean water are the foundation for a vibrant wine and agriculture industry. It is what keeps the tourists coming back. But, that is now at risk if the proposed garbage incinerator in Romulus goes forward.

INCINERATORS IN TROUBLE

What Are The Problems With Waste Incineration?

Waste incineration is a flawed approach that is expensive, polluting, and inefficient; aging incinerators are causing trouble with toxic emissions, odor, fires, financial insecurity, and environmental injustice.

Lawsuits addressed in Romulus trash incinerator hearing

WATERLOO, N.Y (WENY) -- In the Seneca County Courthouse Friday morning, Circular EnerG and the Town of Romulus voiced their sides regarding a potential trash incinerator to coming to the town, at the former Seneca Army Depot. The hearing addressed two lawsuits filed against Romulus by the Rochester-based company challenging a zoning determination, and the town's revised zoning laws. For Circular EnerG, it hopes to come out on top after the ruling. 

Judge reserves decisions on Romulus incinerator cases

WATERLOO — After listening to oral arguments for about an hour Friday, state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Doyle reserved decisions on two Article 78 proceedings initiated by the company interested in building a trash-burning incinerator in Romulus.

Judge Hears Lawsuits Against Romulus by Incinerator Corporation Circular enerG

Reserves Decisions on all motions

Waterloo, NY- In a packed courtroom, the Honorable Judge Doyle heard two Article 78 proceedings filed against the Town of Romulus by garbage incinerator applicant Circular enerG.

Letter to Tompkins County

Re: Cayuga Power Plant

Seneca Lake Guardian’s mission is to promote sustainable energy, increase investment in water supply/sewer systems, and to challenge destructive power plants, reckless development and decrepit infrastructure around Seneca Lake and throughout the Finger Lakes Region. As such, we write to urge you to adopt Resolution A, which asks the DEC to categorically deny Cayuga's application to convert to fracked gas, asks the Governor to provide support for transition to renewable energy, acknowledges that Cayuga’s proposal will result in significant environmental impacts, and calls on the DEC to require Cayuga to submit a full Environmental Impact Statement.  

Hidden emissions

A story from the Netherlands
Case Study

Although presented as state of the art, the youngest incinerator in the Netherlands is far from a clean: long-term tests reveal emissions of dioxin, furan and persistent organic pollutants far beyond the limits.

The case of the REC plant raises important questions for future policy-making concerning waste incineration and its potential effects on public health and the environment.

Seneca Lake Guardian

The Eyes, Ears and Voice Fighting for Clean Water

Waterkeeper Alliance, a global movement uniting more than 270 Waterkeeper organizations and affiliates, recently approved a new affiliate, Seneca Lake Guardian. Joseph M Campbell and Yvonne Taylor of Gas Free Seneca are excited to extend their efforts as the Seneca Lake Guardians to protect and preserve Seneca Lake, one of New York's Finger Lakes, by combining their firsthand knowledge of the watershed with an unwavering commitment to the rights of the community.

A Dirty Waste—How Renewable Energy Policies Have Financed the Unsustainable Waste-to-Energy Industry

The end of the 20th Century saw a major shift in the United States’ approach to energy policy. After decades focused on fossil fuel production, the country began to realize that renewable sources of energy were the way of the future. Governments relied on both mandates and tax incentives to encourage the use of energy from sources like solar and wind power. Waste- to-Energy (“WTE”) power is another form of energy production that is classified as renewable. This Note summarizes the WTE pro- cess and the laws that allowed it to grow, argues that WTE is not economical- ly sound or environmentally sustainable, and proposes legislative changes to prevent more harm from WTE in the future.