Auburn, Owasco drinking water safe despite harmful algal bloom
Drinking water for both the City of Auburn and Town of Owasco remains safe to drink, the Cayuga County Health Department said Wednesday, after samples showed no signs of toxins from the first harmful algal ... more
Harmful algal bloom on Owasco Lake prompts weekly sampling
After the first confirmed harmful algal bloom of the season was detected on Owasco Lake last week, the Cayuga County Health Department has started weekly testing to monitor drinking water. The state Department of Environmental ... more
Lourdes Camp in Skaneateles closing due to blue green algae in water
Lourdes Resident & Day Camp in Skaneateles has been closed due to blue green algae. The camp announced Monday that camp leaders, along with the Onondaga County Health Department, made the decision to close the ... more
Committee considers transfer station at Ontario landfill
Commercial trash haulers may have the option of bringing their garbage to the Ontario County Landfill or to a proposed transfer station at the landfill. The Planning & Environmental Quality Committee of the Board of ... more
So far no harmful algal blooms in Seneca Lake
So far, so good regarding harmful algal blooms in Seneca Lake this summer. The Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association announced Thursday that no confirmed algal blooms — or HABs — were identified during the second ... more
New funding for algae blooms testing in Tompkins County
Harmful algae blooms are popping up again this summer in places like in Skaneateles Lake. On Cayuga Lake, it's typically not a problem, but over the last two summers, it's becoming a concern. "This is ... more
Algae toxins found at low levels in Skaneateles Lake intake pipes
For the first time this year, algae toxins have been found in the city of Syracuse's water intake pipes in Skaneateles Lake. The levels are very low -- at the threshold of detection -- and ... more
Health department: Algal bloom closes beaches in Skaneateles
The Clift Park and Skaneateles Country Club beaches have been closed to swimming due to the visual presence of an algal bloom, the Onondaga County Health Department said Tuesday. In a press release, the health ... more
Testing will determine if Skaneateles Lake algae is toxic
The algae bloom that turned up on a portion of Skaneateles Lake over the weekend is considered "harmful" according to testing done by the State Department of Environmental Conservation - however whether the algae produced ... more
New Owasco Lake rules and regulations draft nears completion
The development of the first new rules and regulations for the Owasco Lake Watershed in decades is moving forward, as a draft of the rules will soon be finalized before going through the approval process ... more
Aerators, ultrasound technology may help disrupt harmful algal blooms in Owasco Lake
The Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) this week is beginning a months long experimental study to determine if several types of technology could help mitigate harmful algal blooms that have plagued the lake in recent ... more
DEC: Discoloration on Owasco Lake not harmful algal blooms
An unidentified green discoloration on much of Owasco Lake seen earlier this week is not a harmful algal bloom, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday. The DEC's Finger Lakes Watershed Hub first collected ... more
Cayuga County Water Quality Management unveils new website as central hub for water issues
The Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency recently unveiled a redesigned website as part of a greater push to provide a central location for residents seeking information on water quality issues. The website, www.cayugacountywater.org, contains ... more
Mentz manure lagoon work halted by DEC
The manure lagoon construction that caught Mentz residents by surprise last week has currently ceased progress due to a notice of violation issued by the state's Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC had stated on ... more
HABs strike Cayuga Lake earlier than last year, but no ‘high toxins’ yet
Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, on Cayuga Lake have come earlier and more often than last summer, when confirmed outbreaks prompted an off-season ramp-up of shoreline monitoring and sample testing for the 2018 season. While ... more
DEC holds off decision on Seneca Meadows mining permit renewal
Normally, the state Department of Environmental Conservation would have issued a decision by now on Seneca Meadows’ application for a five-year renewal of its mined land reclamation permit. However, the Seneca Falls landfill has agreed ... more
INSIDE THE FLX: Environmental issues take center stage in the Finger Lakes (podcast)
When the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that they would be slashing a proposal by a Houston-based energy company, many in the region called it a 'win'. That proposal would have resulted ... more
Casella says recycling market is declining
Officials at Casella Waste Services, operator of the Ontario County Landfill, are concerned about the decline in markets and prices for selling recycled materials. In addition to depositing household waste, Casella operates a Material Recovery ... more
DEC extends deadline for Lake Ontario flood relief funds
Senator Pam Helming announced that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has extended the application deadline for the Lake Ontario General Permit as well as the expiration date of the permit. This will ... more
Harmful algal blooms steal Finger Lakes swim days — and some lifeguards’ wages
Harmful algal blooms are doing more than just closing beaches this summer— they may also be pushing people out of jobs. Gavin VanHorn, a village of Aurora lifeguard who works at the Wells College dock ... more
Gas Free Seneca joins Seneca Lake Guardian, focuses on incinerator
Gas Free Seneca was formed eight years ago to fight a proposal by a Texas company to store liquid propane and butane in underground, abandoned salt caverns on the southwest side of Seneca Lake in ... more
