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Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC MEETING #2 JUNE 21, 2017 I MORAVIA HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM I 6pm ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project Tonight’s Agenda: • Introduce the Watershed Rules & Regulations Project • Overview of Current Watershed Rules & Regulations • Outline the Public Participation Process • Encourage Community Involvement ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project THE OWASCO LAKE WATERSHED ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project THE PROJECT AT A GLANCE • PART 1: Review and Revise the 1984 Watershed Rules & Regulations • Public Education, Participation and Feedback • Draft Revised Regulations for Local Consideration by City of Auburn and Town of Owasco • PART 2: Submit Draft Regulations to NYS Health Dept. for Review • State Department of Health Bureau of Public Water Supply Protection • Review and Changes as needed – coordinated with local water suppliers: Auburn & Owasco • Circulation and Publication • Inter-Agency Review at State: Bureau of Management Services; Legal; Ag & Markets; • Publication in State Register • Approval of State Health Commissioner • Adoption by Local Suppliers of Water (Auburn & Owasco) • Local Publication & Filing ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION UNPRECEDENTED WATER QUALITY ISSUES IN OWASCO LAKE AND ITS WATERSHED Harmful Blue-Green Algal Blooms and Microcystin Toxins Impacting our Primary Public Water Source ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION UNPRECEDENTED WATER QUALITY ISSUES IN OWASCO LAKE AND ITS WATERSHED Failed Septic Systems and Poor Roadway Practices Impacting our Primary Public Water Source ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION UNPRECEDENTED WATER QUALITY ISSUES IN OWASCO LAKE AND ITS WATERSHED Erosion and Sediment Runoff from Multiple Sources and Manure Spills Impacting our Primary Public Water Source ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION • Our Water Quality Pollution Is Coming from Many Sources… ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION • Our Water Quality Solutions are also Coming from Many Sources… County has Developed and Adopted Manure Management Guidelines Our Farmers are Adopting Cover Crop, No-Tilling and Other Best Practices ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION • Our Water Quality Solutions are Coming from Many Sources… Septic System Inspection Program Improvements Dutch Hollow Brook Protections are being Put in Place ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT INTRODUCTION • Our Water Quality Solutions are Coming from Many Sources… Preparation of EPA Nine-Elements Plan Adoption of Town and Village Lakeshore Overlay Protection Districts ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS ARE ANOTHER TOOL TO PROTECT OWASCO LAKE AND OUR PRIMARY DRINKING WATER RESOURCE ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project GENERAL OF WSRR: • Authority and ability for Watershed Inspectors to enter any property within the Owasco Lake Watershed to make inspections; • Provides protections not identified or regulated through other state and federal regulations – a greater degree of local control over impacts to water quality; • Provides protections against the deposit of human waste anywhere within the watershed – protections that would not be in place without local WSRR OTHER WSRR WILL BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project GENERAL WEAKNESSES OF THE WSRR: • Maps identifying protected watercourses within the watershed were developed in the 1960’s and need to be reviewed and updated; • Language in the WSRR contains contradictory clauses that can confuse rather than clarify provisions and therefore hinder enforcement efforts– this content needs to be reviewed and updated; and • Current regulations do not include protections against erosion and sediment runoff associated with construction sites under one-acre. OTHER WSRR WEAKNESSES WILL BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project AUTHORITY AND HOW THEY WORK… STATE LAW ALLOWS NYS HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS ON BEHALF OF MUNICIPALITIES TO PROTECT PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED THE CURRENT OWASCO LAKE WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS IN 1984 ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUBURN AND THE TOWN OF OWASCO OUR WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS PROVIDE THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK UNDER WHICH OUR WATERSHED INSPECTORS DO THEIR JOB IF NEEDED, THE WSR&R INCLUDE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS THAT INVOLVE THE WATERSHED INSPECTORS AND COUNTY-LEVEL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project FOCUS AREAS OF THE WSR&R: AGRICULTURE: FERTILIZER, PESTICIDES & MANURE MANAGEMENT SEWAGE DISPOSAL AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS SOLID WASTE & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project SUMMARY OF THE RULES & REGS AGRICULTURE • Animal Waste Storage Areas cannot be located within 250 feet of the lake or a watercourse • Manure cannot be spread within 75 feet of the lake or watercourse unless plowed underground on the day it is spread • Herbicides and Pesticides cannot be stored, discharged, applied or allowed to enter the lake or watercourse without an appropriate agency permit ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project SUMMARY OF THE RULES & REGS SEWAGE • The discharge of sewage into the lake or watercourse is prohibited • Land spreading of sewage is prohibited • The burial of sewage is prohibited unless deposited in specified trenches or pits located greater than 250 ft. from the lake or watercourse • Privies are prohibited with 100 ft. of the lake or watercourse unless it is watertight or discharges to an approved septic system • An absorption area shall not be placed within 100 ft. of the lake or watercourse unless an exemption is granted by the Health Department for a repair of an existing system. ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project SUMMARY OF THE RULES & REGS SEWAGE • Watertight privies must be emptied when filled within 6 inches of the top and care shall be exercised • Care must be exercised when pumping sewage from a watertight receptacle and the waste disposed of properly • Septic systems must be approved by the Health Department before installation, repair, or modification • Failing septic system must be inspected and evaluated in a manner approved by the Health Department prior to modification • No sewage or polluted liquid shall be discharged or allowed to flow beneath the surface of the ground except to an approved septic system or watertight holding tank • Composting toilets are acceptable provided that the proper disposal of gray water is provided ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project SUMMARY OF THE RULES & REGS SOLID WASTE & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS • Chloride salt cannot be stored within 500 ft. of lake or watercourse unless in weatherproof buildings • Refuse disposal areas cannot be located within 500 ft. of the lake or watercourse • The deposition or burial of refuse within 250 ft. of the lake or watercourse is prohibited • The burial of containers used for the storage of toxic substances within 500 ft. of the lake or watercourse is prohibited • Human remains cannot be interred within 250 ft. of the lake or watercourse • Junkyards are prohibited within 100 ft. of the lake or watercourse • The deposition or burial of radioactive material is prohibited • Buildings or structures not allowed on the water or ice within 500 ft. of the water supply intake ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project SUMMARY OF THE RULES & REGS AND FINALLY… • NO OTHER POLLUTANT OF ANY KIND SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE LAKE OR WATERCOURSE ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN HOW STAKEHOLDERS, THE PUBLIC AND LOCAL OFFICIALS CAN LEARN MORE & PROVIDE FEEDBACK ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT A GLANCE… FOUR KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN: • PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE; • STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS; • PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MEETINGS; • PROJECT WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT A GLANCE… 9-MEMBER PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE: • Two County Legislators; • One Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council Member; • One Owasco Watershed Lake Association (“OWLA”) Member; • Two Agriculture & Farmer Representatives (Dairy & Crop; Large and Small); • One County Department of Health I Board of Health Member; • One Owasco Town Board Member; and • One Auburn City Council Member. ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT A GLANCE… STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH: • AGRICULTURE & THE FARMING COMMUNITY; • LAKE SHORE OWNERS AND LAKE ADVOCATE GROUPS; • MUNICIPAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS; and • BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS. ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT A GLANCE… PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR PARTICIPATION AND INPUT: • TWO PUBLIC INFORMATION & PROJECT KICK-OFF MEETINGS: • Project Introduction & Public Education on WSRR • Monday, June 19 at BOCES and Wednesday, June 21 at Moravia HS Auditorium – 6PM • FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH IDENTIFIED STAKEHOLDERS; • TWO PUBLIC WORK-SESSION MEETINGS: • Review Public & Stakeholder Input to Date; • Solicit and Document Additional Public Input • PREPARATION & PUBLIC CIRCULATION OF DRAFT REVISIONS • PUBLIC MEETINGS ON DRAFT WSRR FOLLOWING RELEASE & CIRCULATION • THIRTY-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD • FINAL PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS TO TOWN OF OWASCO & CITY OF AUBURN ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT A GLANCE… PROJECT WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH: • WWW.CAYUGACOUNTY.US/COMMUNITY/OWASCO-WATERSHED-PROJECT • Project Meeting Schedules • Steering Committee Minutes • Summaries of Public Input • Informational Documents & Important Links • Opportunity of Project Input and Feedback via Website • MEDIA OUTLETS FOR PROJECT INFORMATION: • FIND US ON FACEBOOK: 135752779832241/ • MEDIA COVERAGE AND PUBLIC NOTICES IN the CITIZEN NEWSPAPER • ONGOING RADIO COVERAGE ON FINGER LAKES NEWS RADIO – WAUB 98.1 FM ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project FEEDBACK AND PUBLIC COMMENT • HOW DO THE WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS IMPACT YOU? • WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED OR CHANGED IN THE 1984 WATERSHED RULES & REGULATIONS? ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project NEXT STEPS • BUILDING THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS • LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND! • AGRICULTURE / FARMING • LAKE SHORE OWNERS & LAKE ADVOCACY GROUPS • LOCAL MUNICIPAL AND STATE/FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS • BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS ---PAGE BREAK--- Owasco Lake Watershed Rules & Regulations Project PROJECT WEBSITE :WWW.CAYUGACOUNTY.US/COMMUNITY/OWASCO-WATERSHED-PROJECT