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Peter Mantius
Peter is a three-time Pulitzer nominated reporter covering environmental issues through his first-of-its-kind digital publication The Water Front. He's won an array of Associated Press, UPI, and Society of Professional Journalist awards. His reporting on environmental issues continues to be featured in prominent New York publications and is available on FingerLakes1.com through an exclusive content partnership. Have a question or lead? Send it to peter@fingerlakes1.com.
Greenidge sues DEC in Yates County seeking injunction to block enforcement of order to close Dresden power plant
Greenidge Generation LLC sued the state Department of Environmental Conservation in Yates County Thursday in an effort to block the agency’s order to close its Dresden power plant by Sept. 9. The company, which operates ... more
DEC tells Greenidge Generation it will be illegal to operate Dresden power plant after September 9th: What happens now?
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has notified Greenidge Generation that it will be “unlawful to operate” its Dresden power plant after Sept. 9 and that the company should prepare to close its facility. That’s ... more
Green Amendment would be ‘toothless’ if Albany court dismisses suit against Seneca Meadows, attorney says
The state’s Green Amendment would be rendered “toothless” if a state court in Albany grants requests to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to block the expansion of Seneca Meadows Inc. due to odor violations, an attorney ... more
Hochul under pressure to relax NY’s landmark climate law as state fails to meet deadlines for switch to renewables
After state officials admitted last month that New York State will likely miss a key deadline required by its ambitious 2019 climate law, business groups have seized the moment to lobby Gov. Kathy Hochul to ... more
Appeals Court limits Green Amendment in landfill, DEC victory: How will this impact the Finger Lakes?
Overturning a landmark trial court decision on the scope of New York’s Green Amendment, an appellate court in Rochester has ruled that citizens lack the authority to obtain a court order to compel state regulators ... more
HABs now widespread across Finger Lakes: State rejects proposed rules to protect Owasco Lake
The children waded waist-deep in green-tinged water at the Deep Run Beach on Canandaigua Lake on July 23 before lifeguards waved them out and closed the swimming area. Adults and children were wading in green-tinged ... more
DEC says gravel mine owner fully restored illegally mined acreage; Watkins Glen mayor dispute it
State officials say a 8.5-acre site that was illegally mined on a ridge above the Village of Watkins Glen has been fully reclaimed, but Mayor Laurie DeNardo and others dispute that conclusion based on a ... more
State appeals court revives lawsuit against proposed Schuyler County waste facility over PFAS-tainted leachate
A state appeals court in Albany has revived a lawsuit alleging that waste from a proposed recycling center in Schuyler County would contaminate drinking water drawn from Cayuga Lake. Residents who rely on potentially tainted ... more
At Army’s request, EPA deletes website reference to request for PFAS tests of creeks in former Seneca Army Depot
At the request of the U.S. Army, the EPA has deleted from its website a reference to the agency’s formal request that the Army test for PFAS chemicals in two creeks that run through the ... more
Long-haul garbage trucks use shortcuts across rural roads, triggering town resolutions against landfill expansion
Long-haul garbage trucks, a noisy nuisance in towns and villages across the Finger Lakes, have prompted several local boards to pass resolutions opposing a bid to expand the state’s largest landfill, Seneca Meadows Inc. “Routes ... more
EPA Urges U.S. Army to Test for PFAS in Creeks Flowing Out of Former Seneca Army Depot; Army Says: Maybe Later
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has formally asked the U.S. Army to sample surface water and sediment in Kendaia and Reeder creeks for PFAS chemicals that may have migrated from the former Seneca Army Depot ... more
Bill to prevent calamity at Cayuga Lake salt mine stalls: How did other environmental bills integral to the Finger Lakes fare?
A bill requiring the state to set an appropriate bond to cover a potential catastrophic accident at Cargill’s salt mine under Cayuga Lake sailed through the state Senate by a 60-0 vote in the closing ... more
Watkins Glen quarry owner fails to comply with state order to restore illegally mined acreage; DEC postpones enforcement
The owner of a gravel quarry who seeks a state permit to quintuple the size of his mine has failed to comply with a February 2022 state consent order to restore 8.5 acres that he ... more
Finger Lakes HABs season gets early start with bloom confirmed in Seneca Falls on Cayuga Lake
The Finger Lakes’ 2024 HABs season kicked off this week with a widespread bloom reported near the northwest tip of Cayuga Lake. The Finger Lakes’ first confirmed HABs of 2024 sprang up Monday on the ... more
Citizens can’t use green amendment to block bid to expand Seneca Falls landfill, AG James says
Citizens who breathe air polluted by New York’s largest landfill have no legal right under the state’s Green Amendment to block that facility’s application for a permit to expand, lawyers for the state Department of ... more
Greenidge’s president dumps company stock in wake of DEC’s decision to deny bid for Title V Air Permit
Greenidge Generation President Dale Irwin has shed more than one-third of his holdings in company common stock since the the cash-strapped Bitcoin mining company lost its state appeal for an air permit on May 8 ... more
TRAILBLAZER: Finger Lakes Land Trust founder leads mission to protect lakes, streams, fields, and forests
On patrol with his red-handled pruning shears, Andy Zepp snips overgrown branches as he walks a trail within Cayuga Cliffs, a 267-acre nature preserve set to open to the public in June. The Finger Lakes ... more
Greenidge loses air permit appeal, but not the right to keep operating Dresden plant
Although Greenidge Generation lost its state air permit appeal last week, the company appears likely to continue operating its power plant and Bitcoin mining facility in Dresden through September — or beyond. Protesters march outside ... more
DEC terminates Greenidge Generation’s 2022 appeal: What does that mean? What happens next?
Greenidge Generation has lost its administrative appeal within the state Department of Environmental Conservation that had challenged the agency’s June 2022 denial of its bid to renew its air emissions permit. A 29-page decision issued ... more
