Monday, April 10, 2006

New York Rivers United: Action Alert -Write NY's commsioners

NYRU
P.O. Box 1460, Rome, NY 13442 Tel. (315) 339-2097 Fax (315) 339-6028 Email:newyorkriversunited.org



ACTION ALERT

ACTION PROPOSED BY ORSANCO A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
FOR WATER QUALITY

CWA – GOING BACKWARDS AGAIN?

RE: ANOTHER WET WEATHER PROPOSAL

Currently the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is considering a proposed plan to lower water quality standards for the Ohio River Basin. Under this proposal, substantial amounts of raw sewage will be dumped into the Ohio River following a wet weather event. Approval of the proposed revision would sacrifice the region’s potential for local economic development, and would have many negative health and environmental implications for local communities.

NOTE: NEW YORK’S ALLEGHENY RIVER IS A PART OF HEADWATERS OF
THE OHIO SYSTEM AND COULD COME UNDER THIS NEW RULE-MAKING;
NY’s COMMSSSIONERS WILL VOTE!

We believe that ORSANCO should serve to protect and preserve the Ohio River Basin. Tolerance of sewage and other pollutants should not be increased. We need strict policies to lessen the environmental impacts and risks to human health associated with sewage pollution. Since the enactment of the Clean Water Act more than thirty years ago, conditions of the Ohio River have improved dramatically, yet there are still many steps we need to take in the name of clean water. The approval of weakened water quality standards would be a giant step in the wrong direction.

THIS IS YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE THE CWA

We understand that the financial issue at hand (fixing failing sewer systems) is a multi-billion dollar task. Furthermore, many communities located along the Ohio River Basin are currently under Consent Decree. However, the long-term economic, environmental, and social risks involved with failing to correct the problem now will cause many adverse effects for local communities in the future. We need to invest in improving infrastructure now, or the problem will continue to build.

ORSANCO should enforce existing water quality standards under the Clean Water Act instead of changing them to allow more sewage to pollute the environment in which we live, work and recreate. We believe that ORSANCO has the ability to be a positive force in our nation’s fight for improved water quality. However, we find it disappointing that the Commission would consider approval of lowered water quality standards for the Ohio River. Improvements in infrastructure must be made. If they are not, we will continue to pass this growing problem to future generations. Sacrificing residents’ public health, recreational opportunities and quality of life is not a solution.


DEDICATED TO CONSERVE, PROTECT AND RESTORE NEW YORK'S RIVERS


UNDERMINING RECREATIONAL VALUES

After attending both the Technical Committee and Commissioners Meetings in February, NGO’s felt that a move forward with this proposal would be a serious mistake. To date, there is insufficient data to address the various environmental and economic issues at hand. We believe that a decision to lower recreational status for the Ohio River based on incomplete “observations” is dangerous. We urge the Commissioners to consider the consequences that such a decision would have on the surrounding communities.

Furthermore, NGO’s are concerned by the Commission’s decision to exclude some of the major communities in this “participatory” decision-making process. Louisville, Kentucky; Evansville, Indiana; and Wheeling and Huntington, West Virginia, have not been included in the public hearing process. These communities were engaged in the initial public review process but have been inexplicably overlooked for the final stages of review. These communities are plagued by the same dilemma facing many municipalities located along the Ohio River. These areas are already negatively affected by sewage pollution. These effects would worsen if lowered water quality standards were to be adopted by the Commission. We urge you to include these important locations in the discussions this coming spring.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE!
WRITE TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND
EXPRESS YOUR DISSATISFACTION ON THIS PROPOSED RULE! (See Attachements)

State your opposition to the proposed water quality standard revisions
and strenuously urge the Commission to reject the proposal to lower
water quality standards.

MAKE IT CLEAR: WE BELIEVE THIS PROPOSAL SETS A DANGEROUS
PRECEDENT FOR OUR NATION WATERS.


For more information contact:

Bruce Carpenter, Executive Director Becky McClatchey
New York Rivers United Sierra Club
Bruce_carpenter@newyorkriversunited.org 515 Wyoming Ave
Cincinnati, Oh 45215
mailto:becky.mcclatchey@sierraclub.org

NY INFO: The Allegheny River Basin in New York State comprises a portion of the headwaters of the larger Ohio River Basin. A total of approximately 1,900 square miles of the basin lie within New York State, populated by about 170,000 people. It consists of most of Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties and a small portion of Allegheny County. The geology of the area is mainly a highly dissected plateau of deep, flat-bottomed valleys. The nature of the area varies from the rugged, heavily wooded Allegheny Hills along the Pennsylvania border to the flatter lands in the north and west. The basin is primarily rural-agricultural with several population centers and industries located along the major waterways. Other primary activities include silviculture, oil and gas production, and recreation. Steady progress has been made toward cleaning up the waters of the Allegheny River Basin. Most notable have been some of the industrial and municipal sewage treatment plant abatement efforts.