LANSING, N.Y. (WHCU) – Elected officials, local lawmakers, agritourism business owners, and environmental advocates are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYSDEC to halt the reported sale of Cargill Salt Mine (CSM) in Lansing.

A group that included State Senator Lea Webb, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, Tompkins County Legislator Anne Koreman, environmental researchers and executives with CLEAN and Seneca Lake Guardian, and a local winery owner all gathered on Wednesday to implore the Governor to get involved. The group, along with more than 1,500 local petition signers, is calling for independent environmental and economic impact reviews on the current state of the mine. The review would look at the impact of mining and mine expansion on water quality and salinity, surrounding geological formations, aquatic life, air quality, and other ecological effects. Assemblymember Anna Kelles says it would be irresponsible to allow the sale or closure of the mine with no scrutiny.

“The risk is way too huge because Cayuga Lake provides drinking water for over 100,000 people,” added Kelles. “Plus, the $3-billion-dollar-60,000 employee local agritourism economy depends on the lake.”

Kelles says she’s heard the community criticisms about the economic impact the closure of the mine would have in the Town of Lansing and for Cargill employees.

Kelles says a program exists in the state for certain companies in transition that helps to decrease the impact of local sales tax losses and provides job re-training.

 

According to the Community Science Institute, the median chloride concentration of the lake is 47.35 milligrams per liter (mg/L), with a slightly higher concentration of 52.1 mg/L at Myers Point based on 15 years of monitoring data. Both are more than twice the 20 mg/L concentration level considered safe to drink for people with hypertension. The salt concentration is double all of the other Finger Lakes except for Seneca.

Officials with the Community Science Institute also claim that a recent review of public domain seismic data shows that the mine below the lake is in danger of a collapse, which would cause salinization that would “likely exceed the NYSDEC’s standard for chloride of 250 mg/L in water bodies with a best use for drinking water. To be clear, if the CSM collapses, Bolton Point Water System will need to become a desalination plant, potentially costing millions, and leaving the above communities without water in the interim.” Some in the community have challenged the validity of these findings, but advocates say that’s all the more reason for an independent review.

Sheldrake Point Winery Owner Chuck Tauck says people visit local wineries for the views as much as they do for the wine.

“Finger Lakes wineries are a significant tourism ‘magnet’ that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region, and the health, beauty, and recreational appeal of the lakes are central to the visitor experience,” said Tauck. “There are myriad efforts to protect water quality and any risk from salt mining operations under the lake is inexcusable. New York State must ensure that the current salt mine operations are subject to rigorous environmental review; and any change of ownership of the mine, or closure of the mine, is subject to public scrutiny and the proposed environmental bond to protect the lake the public for future negligence or future disaster.”

Assemblymember Kelles agrees, saying part of review process should include contingency plans with a financial commitment in the event of a disaster.

Cargill closed its Avery Island, Louisiana mine several years ago after a collapse. The group is calling on Cargill to post a $10 billion bond to ensure there is enough money to mitigate any environmental risks that come with mining salt under freshwater resources.

Cargill has still not confirmed that the mine is for sale after a report surfaced in August.