Water

Photo of the Pepacton Reservoir, taken near the East Delaware Tunnel on Tuesday, May 15. The photo shows yellow rubber booms surrounding the area of a small oil spill.

The source of a mysterious oil spill discovered on New York City's Pepacton Reservoir on April 29 has finally been found, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced on Friday. The source is still buried in the sediment, and has been covered to prevent further leakage while the agency investigates.

Earlier this week, divers were deployed on the reservoir to search the bottom for the source of the spill. A press release issued by the DEP today stated that the divers found a four-inch pipe protruding from the bottom of the reservoir, leaking a substance believed to be diesel fuel. The pipe is capped, but has several small holes that are leaking fuel. A second point on the bottom of the reservoir, about 12 inches away from the pipe, is also showing signs of leakage.  Read more

We are writing in response to the information we have received from our town board and from other neighboring towns. We are very happy to hear that the towns of Rochester, New Paltz, Marbletown and others are working to pass zoning bans to prohibit fracking in our towns. We appreciate the efforts being made to protect us all and will be present at a public hearing on June 7 at 7pm to discuss the proposed
Town of Rochester Local Law #2 of 2012 regarding “Exploration for or Extraction of Natural Gas and/or Petroleum” as presented at the Town Board meeting on May 3rd.

We know that home rule is currently recognized in NY State, so it is urgent to pass these laws now. We also urge the passing of a community bill of rights ordinance, in addition to a zoning ban, to provide greater protection. We have learned that the zoning bans passed in the towns of Dryden and Middlefield are being appealed by the gas
corporations, despite the appeal time having expired.  Read more

Shandaken's latest bout of dithering over a proposed Phoenicia sewer plant may have cost the town $15.8 million in New York City grant money. After years of negotiation with a reluctant town board over the Phoenicia sewer project, the Catskill Watershed Corporation has finally decided enough is enough.

On Monday, May 7, the Shandaken town board voted 3-1 to table a resolution that would have set a May 22 date for a public hearing on the sewer system. The hearing would have been the next step toward setting a date for a public referendum. A previous public vote on a sewer system for Phoenicia failed in 2007.

Supervisor Rob Stanley was not at the meeting. Jack Jordan voted for the resolution, while fellow board members Alfie Higley, Vincent Bernstein and Doris Bartlett voted to table it.

The vote left the timetable for deciding on the sewer project in limbo. A new sewer district must be established by August 6 in order to be eligible for $15.8 million in block grant funds from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. The grant, like most DEP-funded projects in the watershed, was to be administered by the CWC.  Read more

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Above: The Pepacton Reservoir seen from satellite imagery. The East Delaware Aqueduct begins on the southern edge of the reservoir, a few miles east of the Downsville dam. Image via Google Maps. For a map of the New York City watershed infrastructure, see this link.

In today's Walton Reporter: An oil spill was spotted last Sunday on the Pepacton Reservoir, near the East Delaware Tunnel intake chamber.

When questioned about the spill on Tuesday, the Reporter writes, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said they had it under control:

"On Sunday, April 29, 2012, DEP Police discovered a potential oil spill in Pepacton Reservoir during routine helicopter surveillance operations and immediately dispatched staff to the site to investigate," DEP's Mercedes Padilla stated by email. "After quick action, such as deploying booms to contain the spill, DEP determined that the situation is not a threat to the water supply."

Questioned by the Watershed Post today, Padilla gave us the same quote, and repeated what the agency told the Walton Reporter:  Read more