Stand Up for Cayuga Lake!
Help Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now protect Cayuga Lake. Your gift will go to continuing our fight to stop industrial polluters and hold them accountable to safeguard Cayuga Lake. The lake needs us and we need you. The Chris Dennis Environment Foundation(CDEF) is our fiscal sponsor and your gift to CDEF is tax-deductible. Click here to see the most efficient way to donate to CDEF.
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In the heart of upstate NY lies 11 lakes called the Finger Lakes. The lakes are long, narrow, and oriented in the north–south direction. Carved out by glaciers around two million years ago, these lakes are now the home of over 1.2 million people and boasts a thriving economy in the wine and craft beer industries. Cayuga Lake, the second largest of the Finger Lakes, is about 40 miles long and reaches a depth of approximately 435 ft at its deepest point. As the main source of public drinking water for at least 40,000 people, it is important to safeguard the health of the lake.
Cayuga Lake might look pristine, but it is threatened by industry and it is already showing signs of distress.
Cayuga Lake is being jeopardized by many factors such as invasive species, inadequate treatment of wastewater, and emerging contaminants. Additionally, more intense weather events caused by climate change increases farm runoff and erosion of silt, leading to nutrient loading. Data indicates the increase in nutrients coupled with higher temperatures has been leading to harmful algal blooms.
Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) is an independent advocacy group that is working to protect Cayuga Lake. We are addressing industry polluters in an effort to highlight the need for remediation of industrial contamination. Based in Ithaca, CLEAN is working with researchers, local environmental groups, and a legal team to address water quality issues on Cayuga Lake. We work in partnership with many local organizations including the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network. CLEAN has fiscal sponsorship through the Chris Dennis Environment Fund. We are working to hold industry polluters accountable and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation responsible for protecting a resource that belongs to ALL of us: Cayuga Lake - from the waves up above to the salt down below.
Read the recent CLEAN communications with DEC regarding concerns about the flooding of the mine:
SAVE THE DATE!
Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network present:
The Cayuga Lake Summit
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., at the Large Pavilion of Stewart Park in Ithaca, NY
Environmental leaders and community members are invited to join us for an educational evening program featuring water quality experts and the opportunity to network with individuals and groups focused on protecting clean and safe water in the Cayuga Lake Watershed and beyond.
Session 1 – How Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM®) Standards Help Reduce Road Salt Pollution
Keynote Speaker: Phill Sexton
Phill Sexton is the founder of WIT Advisers, a consulting firm specializing in winter and landscape management. In addition to his work with WIT Advisers, Phill also played a key role in drafting best management practices in the Adirondack Road Salt Task Force report, which aimed to address the environmental impacts of road salt use in the Adirondack Park.
Session 2 – Tracing and Treating PFAS in the Finger Lakes
Brief Presentations and Panel Discussion:
Brune Boukobza and Laura Akey, Research Assistants, Helbling Research Group, Cornell University
Nicolas Ganzon, P.E., President of The Water and Carbon Group
David Pannucci, P.E., Regional Engineer, Waste Connections
Bill Mattingly, Chair of Sierra Club Finger Lakes
Dr. Murray McBride, Emeritus Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University
Following the presentations there will be social time for networking and enjoying Stewart Park together. Please consider bringing informational resources or tabling materials to share. We are looking forward to working with you to make this a fun and fruitful event.