SLPWA Projects

o Seneca Lake Level Monitoring
o Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling
o Landfill Leachate and impact of landfills on the Lake
o Membership and Annual Fund Campaign
o Spring and Fall membership/community educational Workshops
o Maintenance of Water Quality
o Proper disposal of pharmaceuticals and drugs

Marcellus Shale Drilling It is estimated that the Marcellus Shale layer which spreads across the Southern Tier and Catskill Mountain Region within New York State and continues into Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio contains one of the largest deposits of natural gas (over 500 trillion cubic feet) in the United States.  Exploitation of this source of gas has significant environmental implications. SLPWA is actively participating in monitoring and responding to the legislative, regulatory and operational activities associated with this major program.  A subcommittee of the Board of Directors  prepared a response  to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (NYS DEC) Draft SGEIS which was send to the NYS DEC on November 21, 2009. Link to our comments. Link to our comments On January 13, 2010 SLPWA became aware of a permit application by Chesapeake Energy in the Town of Pulteney (west side of Keuka Lake – part of the Seneca Lake watershed) to convert an old gas well 3000’ from the shore, into an injection well for hazardous waste water from drilling operations.  SLPWA faxed a letter to the Town Supervisor objecting to this well.   Link to letter On February 2, 2010, SLPWA wrote a detailed letter to Congressman Eric Massa and organizations within the Seneca Lake watershed that might be impacted by the proposed injection well in Pulteney urging concerted actions on the part of organizations and municipalities on this issue. Link to letter Status of Pulteney Injection Well 020910 A summary of the proposed injection well situation in the Town of Pulteney, as summarized by this committee is linked here. On February 4, 2010, SLPWA sent a letter to NYS DEC Director Grannis and Governor Paterson with a description of regulatory steps  that SLPWA would consider “minimum” to meet the description of “environmentally and fiscally responsible” drilling for natural gas. Link to our Minimum Requirements, and the link to the letter to Governor Paterson and others regarding our Minimum Requirements document. On March 27, 2010 SLPWA submitted its comments to the US Environmental Protection Agency regarding their study to assess the potential risks to drinking water posed by hydraulic fracturing of formations including coalbeds and shale for extraction of natural gas. Link to our input. On May 25, 2010 SLPWA sent a letter to NYS DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis asking him to provide the same protections that he granted the NYC and Syracuse watersehds from the potential effects of the hyrdrofracing process on the water quality of the drinking water resources in our Seneca Lake watershed as well as the other watersheds in the rest of the state.  SLPWA contends that the exemption of the NYC and Syracuse watersheds from the Supplemental Generic Envionmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) process is an admission by the state DEC that drilling in the Marcellus Shale for natural gas poses a potential problem to these watersheds and therefore poses the same water degradation problems for all watersheds in which drilling is allowed.  Link to our letter to Comm Grannis Look for discussion of this issue and the involvement of SLPWA members in this project at the monthly meetings of SLPWA.  Monthly SLPWA Meeting Notes on this project can be found on our SLPWA Members page Press releases from SLPWA on this project can be found on our SLPWA News Room page

Reference list At the SLPWA Annual Meeting, our guest speaker, Ron Bishop, Ph.D., Chemistry & Biochemistry Department , SUNY Oneonta, presented resources for individuals learning about the issues related to Marcellus Shale. *General Information* Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project Abrahm Lustgarten and Propublica *Chemicals Information* The Endocrine Disruption Exchange - Dr. Theo Colburn The Safety of Fracturing Fluids – A Quantitative Assessment Steve Coffman Beyond MSDS: a Review of Hazardous Materials Used by New York’s Natural Gas Industry Cross-Index of Products and Chemicals Used By New York’s Natural Gas Industry - Ron Bishop *Health Effects* Potential Exposure-Related Human Health Effects of Oil and Gas Development: A Literature Review (2003-2008) - Roxana Witter, Et. Al. Colorado School of Public Health *Economics* Energy Boomtowns & Natural Gas: Implications for Marcellus Shale Local Governments & Rural Communities - Jeffrey Jacquet, January 2009. Fossil Fuel Extraction as a County Economic Development Strategy Unanswered Questions About The Economic Impact of Gas Drilling In the Marcellus Shale: Don’t Jump to Conclusions - Jannette M. Barth

Lake Level Control
As an outcome of several meetings held recently to discuss on-going problems with low water levels of Seneca Lake (residents and marina owners reported that they could not get boats out of hoists and that sail boat keels were getting stuck in the mud), a website, Seneca Lake Water Level Information Sources, has been created as a repository for related information. It can be found at: This web site contains background information on the lake water level, as well as links to other sites that contain additional information.

Area Landfill issues


Look What We've Accomplished

Watershed Study - in progress, in-depth analysis of resources and mapping of the watershed, combined with awareness programs for citizens and elected officials.

Library - extensive collection of water-related research & reference material available free of charge to members andstudents, includes many videos offered on loan.

Catherine Valley Trail - 13 miles of rails to trails from Elmira Colleges Domes to Watkins Glen

LakeWatch - quarterly newsletter that is excellent source of current association activities and educational material.

Bi-Annual Guest Lectures - provocative, informational and educational.

Zebra Mussel Seminar for Contractors

Septic Workshop for Contractors

Forum for Local Officials on SLPWA's Minimum guidelines for Municipal Ordinances to protect the lake.

Several Public Metings on Lake Level

Zebra Mussel Workshop for Citizens

Wetlands Workshop

Flood Damage Protection Booklet

Annual Water Week and Earth Day Events

Schuyler County Marina Operators Meeting

Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Progarm - water testing in Lake and tributaries.

Adopt a Stream Kit available for all middle and high schols in watershed.

Fund County Youth Envirothon Program

Fund Benthic Survey of Kashong Bay

Fund Plankton Survey of Seneca Lake

Fund Study of Salt in Seneca Lake

Fund Study and Testing of Yates County Landfill

Fund Study and Testing of Town of Dix Landfill

Conduct Lakeshore Water Use Survey

Conduct Kashong Creek & Bay Survey

Clute Park Underwater Clean-Up

Big Stream Clean-Up

Kashong Bay Beach Clean-Up

Worked to prevent plutonium storage in watershed

Worked to prevent tire recycling plant in Reading

Worked to have inactive hazardous waste site in Catharine Creek's headwaters cleaned.

Worked tohave landfill properly closed in the Town of Dix

Sponsor and supervise several undregraduate student intern projects.

Supervise students in Dundee Central School's Community Service Course

Sponsored Seneca Lake Chronicles - the newspaper, the slide series and the video.

Provide free septic testing dye tablets to all lakeshore residents.

Annual participation in Future of the Finger Lakes Conference.