Ethanol in the Finger Lakes?

Is it good for the environment? Is it good for the economy? Is it good for the residents of Seneca County? Give us an Environmental Impact Statement, and we'll give you our answer!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The ethanol promoters are betting their money that Seneca County residents will ask fewer questions than residents of Caledonia. Are they right?

Cilion, the California company that wants to build an ethanol plant in Seneca County, was hoping to begin by completing a plant in Caledonia, located in Livingston County. But a funny thing happened: people started to ask questions. So many questions, in fact, that Cilion reluctantly agreed to address concerns of the surrounding community by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the only process that meaningfully analyzes the impact of a project on the surrounding area.

They came to regret it. Instead of relieving the concerns of the community, it raised them further! Instead of supporting the happy talk of the ethanol salesmen, the EIS revealed the extent to which the plant would degrade the local environment. How did they respond to the growing public opposition to the project? They put it on hold, and came to Seneca County, determined not to repeat their mistake of revealing too much to the public.

Cilion has put on a masterful public relations campaign. On April 25, they held what amounted to a pep rally at the Romulus High School, complete with a slick presentation purporting to show that the plant would be environmentally benign, good for the local economy, and good for the Earth. They said that if Seneca County didn't fall in line, they would move on to another of the many communities which, they claimed, are clamoring to have an ethanol plant in their backyard. They even served sandwiches. But are sandwiches and balloons really the way for the public to understand the consequences of a major project that will affect their community far into the future?

The one thing they are insistent about is that they absolutely, positively refuse to prepare an EIS. And no wonder. It's one thing to serve refreshments and make rosy claims, and another thing to prove them. If they were required to prepare an EIS, they would have to explain the many inconsistencies, omissions, and errors contained in their preliminary filings. They were not about to repeat the mistake of revealing too much about their intentions.

Communities all over the country are starting to question the so-called benefits of ethanol plants once they understand the real environmental costs, and the fact that the entire industry is driven by subsidies, tax breaks, and trade barriers, all of which could vanish in the near future. Cilion's main investor is a billionaire who was born in India and lives in California. He may well be able to add to his riches before the actual consequences of this project become clear. The rest of us are not so lucky.

Posted by Finger Lakes Future Alliance

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Sign our Petition for an EIS

October 22, 2007

Our position from the beginning has been that the ethanol plant project in Seneca County needs an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The more we learn about this project, the more we realize just how essential this is.

The Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA) sees its main role as promoting industrial development---especially industrial development that benefits members of the SCIDA themselves, their family members, and their friends and business associates. However, when the SCIDA saw to it they they were named "lead agency" under SEQRA, New York's environmental review law, they took on a legal obligation to defend the public by making sure any negative environmental impacts were identified and studied.

They have shown little interest in doing that. Despite overwhelming evidence that there would be huge environmental impacts, they issued a "negative declaration", and refused to require an EIS. In effect, they gave a free pass to a huge project with enormous giveaways of public lands and taxpayer funds. It would destroy a sensitive ecosystem and degrade air and water quality. There is little evidence that this project would benefit the public in any way. But there is overwhelming evidence that there would be serious negative consequences to the public.

But it's not too late.

Under the SEQRA law, the lead agency is not just permitted, but OBLIGATED, to rescind a negative declaration when it becomes clear that the scope of the project has changed, or new information has come to light. Both of those conditions clearly apply. The project as it is now discussed is different in many respects from the preliminary documents presented by the developers, which were used as a basis for the negative declaration. These documents were full of omissions and misrepresentations.

Will the IDA do its duty and rescind the negative declaration, and now require an EIS?

Maybe---but only if we hold their feet to the fire, and hold our public officials accountable.

That's where the petitions come in. Let it be known that we demand that the IDA do its duty and RESCIND THE NEGDEC!! We need an EIS for this project!

SIGN OUR PETITION:

There are two ways to express your support for Finger Lakes Future, and demand that the IDA do the right thing and REQUIRE AN EIS :

1) Click here to sign our petition on the Care2 website.

or

2) Email us at fingerlakesfuture@gmail.com and we'll add your name to our petition. Or, if you prefer, we'll send you a pdf of our petition, suitable for gathering written signatures.