Library
Overview
- Cayuga Salt Mine Sale Fact Sheet
- Historical Summary of Cargill Legal Issues
- The Unappreciated Horizontal Stress Field and Topographic (Valley) Issues
Cargill in the News
Cargill’s proposal to flood the south end of Cayuga Salt Mine
- Cargill Permit Modification DOCUMENT
- JT Boyd Aug 2023 Cargill
- NOIA Cargill
- Cargill Seeks New Underground Storage Area for Water Seeping into Cayuga Lake Mine With Bid to Modify State Permit
- DEC to Cargill: Give Us Detailed Reports on Potential Dangers of New Storage Site for Water Leaking Into Cayuga Salt Mine
S3 Flood Zone Documents
- Agapito Associates 12 April 2022 study of S3 flooding
- Scopa to Rigley
- Technical Review_70052 2023 Mod comments
- Cargill_Cayuga_Salt_Mine_Permit_Modification_Submission
- Cargill_S3_Water_Storage
- Cargill_S3_Water_Storage__b_
- Application_Submittal
- Revised_Planned_S3_Submain_Sump_-_Cayuga_Mine__Cargillm_Inc.
- StorageModification_06.30.2023
- S3 Water Storage DEC Submittal T. Rigley 1-11-23
- John T. Boyd Company Mining and Geological Consultants
CLEAN Communications with Gov Hochul
Recent CLEAN communications with DEC
- CLEAN email to Dereth Glance 11/20/2024
- Letter to M. Podniesinski 11/07/2024
- 2024.11.05 Letter to DEC and OGS
- 2024.10.16 Matthew Podniesinski letter to John V. Dennis
- Communication with DEC re: Brine Disposal in Cayuga Salt Mine 10.7.2024
- 2024.06.30_Notice of Concern to DEC_final
- 2024.02.12 CLEAN letter to Dereth Glance regarding NOIA
- 2024.02.13 email to Thomas Vigneault
- 2024.02.01_CLEAN Regulatory Process and Uncertainly Q&A: DEC responds
- 2024.02.05_CLEAN_letter-_Dereth_Glance_Final
- 2023.12.13_e-mail to Glance-Dickert_final with mine map
Comparison of Cayuga Salt Mine with Hampton Corners Salt Mine
NYS Office of General Services documents
- Cayuga Mine OGS Payments and Salt Production
- Cayuga Mine OGS Payments and Salt Production
- 1986.01.2 Cargill-OGS consent order mine permit ext-mod
- 1995.01.12 Cargill OGS consent order mod-ext mine permit
- 2009 OGS Consent Order Redacted
- 2017.05.31 Klucsik ltr OGS
- 2017.10.03 OGS BG Allen JVDennis
- 2019.06.03 Request to Extend Consent order 10-years
- Cargill payments to OGS 2005-2012
- Dec 19 1994 Raymond W. Casey OGS consent order
- Mining consent order modification agreement Jun 02 2009 John C. Egan
Documents produced by Cargill consultant Spectra Environmental Group and related documents
Mined Land Use Plan
- Cargill Cayuga Mine Mined Land Use Plan Vol Ia Dec 22_2000
- Cargill Cayuga Mine Mined Land Use Plan Vol Ib Dec 22_2000
- Cayuga Lake Center-temperature profile
- 1980_02_27_DEC-_Cargill_file
- Chloride levels SPDES001_1977-Jan1980
- Order IndSPDES NY 0101290 1979-11-29 Consent Order w hl
- Order IndSPDES N 0101290 1984-12-06 Consent Order 7-0193 w hl
Scour and Fault Anomalies
Mine and SPDES Permits
Mine Permit
SPDES Permit
- DMR.IndSPDES.NY0101290.2020-01-01_2023-06-30
- Figure 1 comparing 1980 SPDES permit with 2004 SPEDES permit
- Figure 2. Cargill bulk salt storage pads
- Figure 3. Brine-impacted landscape west of Cargill salt storage pads
- Cargill Permit.SPDES.NY0101290.2007-05-21.Detail_Permit
- Chloride levels SPDES 001 1977 Jan 1980
- February 27, 1980, DEC letter to Cargill
Writings by and to Dave Plumeau when Senior Mine Engineer at Cayuga Salt Mine
Articles
- 1979 05 Petersen Plumeau Parker Yielding Pillar Pressure and Arches – 08012017 131917
- 1981 Plumeau Petersen Conference on Ground Control
- 2016_Aug – Thoughts on mining the northern reserves Redacted
- Exhibit T – Petersen Plumeau Rankin Practical Approach to Mine Design
- Petersen Plumeau Parker – Yielding Pillars and Pressure Arches-08012017 133929
- Scour and Frontenac Point Anomalies (February_22_2018)
Communications
- Plumeau 2011 letter to DEC re:Scovazzo letter
- 2016.09.09 Dave Plumeau letter to Steve Army
- 2008 09 29 Plumeau to Briggs re: subsidence effects – 08012017 134309
- 2012 07 10 Plumeau Mining Permit Application-08012017092407
- 2012 11 19 Plumeau to Bimber re: recent permit renewal – 08012017 120046
- 2016 08 29 Dlugolensly to Plumeau re: permit public comment- 08012017 111446
- 2016 09 09 Big Pillar Mine Design – Plumeau letter
- 2016 09 09 Plumeau letter-08012017 113148
- 2016.03.02 DEC- Plumeau 3rd Incomplete App Notice
- 2016.09.09 Plumeau-Army letter.hl
- 2016.09.09 Plumeau – Army letter U74 page only
- 2016.09.22 Plumeau letter map showing anomalies
- 2017 01 31 Lucidi to Plumeau re: financial security – 08012017 111123
- 2017 04 05 Lucidi to Plumeau re: 5 month mining plan-08012017 123755
- DEC to Plumeau re: FS letter
- Doc 6. 1977 Petersen Plumeau Parker – Yielding Pillars and Pressure Arches
Corehole/Stratigraphy Data and Reports
Papers on the Retsof Salt Mine
-
- Van-Sambeek-et-al._2000
- R.M. Yager et al. 2009. Brine migration from a flooded salt mine in the Genesee Valley, Livingston County, New York, USGS Professional Paper 1767
- Richard Yager. 2013. Environmental Consequences of the Retsof Salt Mine Roof Collapse. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1174. 18 pages.
Saltwork Consultants Pty Ltd documents
- Cayuga Seismic and Salt final 0617
- John K. Warren CV
- John K. Warren Affirmation June 7, 2021
- Angus Ferguson Affirmation 2017
- Cayuga Final Report
- Endnote file with John K. Warren’s references cited
- Ferguson, Angus and Warren, John K. April 2017. Update on the seismic evaluation of the plans for Shaft #4 in the Cayuga Salt Mine, New York State. 7 pages.
- Warren, John K. 2017. Technical requirements needed to approve construction of Shaft #4 in the Cayuga Salt Mine, New York State. 30 pages.
- Warren, John. K. Sept 2021. Reply Affirmation of John K. Warren. Submitted to Tompkins County Supreme Court. Index No. 2021-0422. 8 pages.
- Warren, John K. 2017. Geological Brief. 4 pages.
- Warren, John K. 2017(?). Implications of a comparison of geological and hydrological conditions in the Akzo-Retsof, Morton-Himrod and Cargill Cayuga salt mines, New York State. 26 pages.
- Ferguson, Angus and Warren, John K. 23 August 2017. Saltwork’s response to Prof. Cathles’ comments on “Should Salt Mining Under Lake Cayuga Continue.” Two pages.
- Ferguson, Angus and Warren, John K. 2017. Cayuga Seismic and Salt. 20 slides.
- Ferguson, Angus and Warren, John K. 2017. Cayuga Seismic and Salt. 20 slides.
Cargill Reports
2000
In 54 years of operating Cayuga Salt Mine (CSM), Cargill has never carried out an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the mine, whereas DEC has required American Rock Salt to carry out two EISs on the Hampton Corners Salt Mine in the past 24 years.
There have been numerous opportunities during this 54-year period when the DEC could have decided that a certain material change in either mining technology or the size of the permitted reserves required an EIS under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
Examples of such opportunities include:
- the transition from Large Pillar mining technology to Small Yield Pillar Technology in the 6-level East Mine in the 1970s and 1980s
- beginning to mine under Cayuga Lake in the 6-level mine in 1984
- applying to expand the permitted reserves in 1997
- applying to expand the permitted reserves in 2016 (check) by 150 acres
- applying for a permit to up-bore Shaft #4 about 2300 vertical feet through both the gas-containing Marcellus Shale and through several freshwater aquifers
- purchasing about 2000 acres of mineral rights under land north and northeast of Shaft #4
- applying for permission to mine under Anomaly C
- applying for permission to store Shaft #4 leakage waters in ponds in the western portions of mining panels U58 and U60
- applying for permission to cut a ramp from mining panel U62 up into the 5-level salt seam
- reporting to DEC that backfilling was taking place in portions of mining panels U12A, and U40 due to anomalously-high rates of room closure.
In about 1997(check), Cargill hired Spectra Environmental Group of Latham NY (now a part of JMT) to produce two large studies that were then produced in 2000:
- a Mine Land Use Plan volume I
- an Expanded Environmental Assessment volume II
The selection of Spectra rather than an experienced mining consultant like RESPEC in South Dakota was unusual in that Spectra’s web site at the time made no mention of any prior experience with the mining sector. However, their office was a mere 10 miles from the NYS Capitol Building compared to the 1,728 miles from Rapid City, SD to the State Capitol.
In any case, it is worth noting that DEC mining consultant John T. Boyd Company in their review of the Expanded Environmental Assessment and the Mined Land Use Plan wrote in conclusion in February 2002,
“Based on available information provided by Cargill, it is BOYD’s opinion the current design is adequate to provide stable mine conditions over the short- to medium-term (next 5 to 10 years) of operations.”
In other words, the shelf life of these documents was in Boyd’s opinion expiring in 2007 to 2012. What’s more this document is highly redacted with, for example, the first 68 pages of the EEA missing. These missing pages according to the table of contents make up most of a 75-page description of the “Environmental Setting”. Why was description of the geology of central New York being allowed to be treated as a trade secret? Was the mine located in a geologically-risky setting?
- 40 microsiesmic events in 1995
- 2002.02_JT Boyd Review of 2000 MLUP_EEA
- Appendix A_Vol II redactions
- Plate 3.1-1 east mine footprints
- Plate 3.1-7 seismic reflect
- Plate 3.1-8 artesian aquifer_1995
- Plate 3.1-10 geologic sequence map
- Plate 3.1-11 Profiles A,B
- Plate 3.1-12 profiles C,D
- Plate 3.1-16_coreholes 1-5
- Plate 3.1-18 mineral rts boundaries
- Plate 3.1-19 well stratigraphy
- Plate 3.1-20 Oriskany Sandstone
- Plate 3.1-21 Onondoga Structure
- Plate 3.1-22 Syracuse Structure
- Plate 3.1-23 black salt
- Plate 3.1-25 joints_dikes east mine
2003
- Annual Report for Mine File #709-3-29-0052 action on 2003 rpt
- Annual Report for Mine File #709-3-29-0052 year 2003
- 2003_Cargill_Annual_Report_Review
2004
- 2003 Annual Report_pp_U12map
- 2004.02.03_Wilcyzinski_Moskiewicz_ltr
- 2005.04.04_JTBoydRev_2004AnnualRpt
- Annual Report for Mine File #709-3-29-0052 Year 2004 rpt
2005
2006
2007
2008
- Cargill.2008.AnnualreporttoDEC_bnw_11pp
- Cargill.2008.AnnualReporttoDEC2008_color_9pp
- JohnTBoyd.2008.AnnualReportReview2008_10pp
- JohnTBoyd.2008.annualreportreview2008Plumeauletter
- JohnTBoyd.2008.AnnualReportReviewrePlumeauletter
- JohnTBoyd.2009.AnnualReportReview2008ver2
- JohnTBoyd.May2008.AnnualReportReview2008Plumeauletter
2009
2010
2011
- calculated panel widths assuming 2002 pillar-entry-notch dimensions
- calculated panel widths assuming 2002 pillar-entry-notch dimensions2
- Cargill Annual Report 2011 maps
- Cargill.2011.AnnualReporttoDEC2011
- JohnTBoyd.2012.AnnualReportReview2011-2
- JohnTBoyd.2012.AnnualReportReview2011
- Plumeau.2011.letter to DEC reScovazzoletter
- Water inflow rates to Cayuga Mine
2012
- Cargill Annual Report 2012 maps
- Cargill.11.30.2012.AnnualReporttoDEC2012
- JohnTBoyd.2013.AnnualReportReview2012
2013
- Cargill Annual Report 2013 maps
- Cargill.11.17.2013.AnnualReport to DEC
- JohnTBoyd.2014.AnnualReportReview2013
2014
- 2014 Annual Report Review_JM_03152017
- Cargill Annual Report 2014 maps
- Cargill.11.24.2014.AnnualReport2014
- JM_Area Calculations from Cargill Annual Report 2014 Maps
- JohnTBoyd.2015.AnnualReportReview2014
- JohnTBoyd2015.Review of 2014 annual report missing page2
2015
- Cargill Annual Report 2015 maps
- Cargill.11.24.2015.AnnualReport2015
- combinepdf_small
- combinepdf
- John T Boyd Review of 2015 Annual Report_key_points
- JohnTBoyd.01.29.2016.AnnualReportReview2015
- JTBoyd->DEC on Cargill 2014_annual_report_pp1,12
- JTBoydReview_2015_All Pages
- P. 12.JohnTBoyd.2015.AnnualReportReview2014
2016
- 2016 annual report on volume of water to Cayuga Salt Mine
- Annual Report 2016 maps
- Boyd review of 2016 Annual Report_Redacted
- Cargill.11.18.2016.Annual Report2016
2017
- 2017_Cargill_CSM_Annual_Report
- Annual_Review_2017_(March_12_2018)
- Boyd review of 2016 Annual Report_Redacted
- Cargill’s August 17 2017 public map
- Nov2017 Cargill map
- portion of Cargill’s Oct 2016 mine map pdf
2017 Maps
2018
2019
2020
- 2020_Annual_with_Basemap
- Cayuga_Mine_Annual_Review_2020
- Page_2_of_Cargill_Report (1)
- Signed_Copy_of_Cargill_Letter_to_DEC_Jan-Dec_2020
2021
- 2021_Cayuga_Mine_Annual_Report_Review__002_
- Cargill_DEC_annual_report_for_Jan_-_Dec_2021
- Cayuga_Salt_Mine_3yr_mine_plan_2021-23
2022
- 3yr_mine_plan_2022-2025_Model__1_
- 3yr_mine_plan_Model__1_ (1)
- Cargill_DEC_annual_report_for_Jan_-_Dec_2022_FINAL
- Cayuga_Mine_Review_2022
2023
- 3yr_mine_plan2023-Model2-23
- New_Basemap-planning-3yr_mine_plan2023-Model2-23 (1)
- Cayuga_Mine_Annual_Report_Review
- Cargill_DEC_Annual_Report_Jan_-_Dec_2023
2024
Clean Water Act Lawsuit
These two files contain hundreds of pages of Best Management Practices put together in 2020 by Cargill consultant Ramboll. They describe steps that Cargill could implement to reduce salt dust emissions and salty stormwater runoff from Cargill’s Portland Point facility.” Cargill built a 90,000 sq ft building to cover one of three bulk salt storage pads on the main campus. By housing a salt conveyor drop zone inside this new structure and by other improvements, Cargill did subsequently reduce salt dust emissions significantly. However, saline runoff into Cayuga Lake remains an on-going problem.
0016-002. (03-16-2020) Appendix 1 Part 1 of 2