Page 1 December 2010 KLA Newsletter PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF THE LAKE www.keukalakeassoc.org Newsletter “Listen to the Lake” December 2010 PRESIDENT‟S REPORT Rob corcoran The afternoon of November 1st started out like any other. Then the phones started ringing off the hook. The Keuka Maid was on the water and headed North! No one knew why or exactly where it was headed, but the rumor was that it was going to be beached near Sarrasin’s Restaurant. Hours later it was hung up on a sand bar several hundred yards off shore from the property. It was boarded by members of the sheriff’s depart- 2011-12 ment, found to have a number Kaleidoscope of navigational violations and escorted back to Hammond- of keuka sport, stopping en route at East Calendar Bluff Marina to be refueled by a Photo Contest diesel tanker truck. So now it See entry information on rests where it started its bizarre page 4 journey and we all await to see what happens next. The Keuka Maid on its ill-fated journey to Penn Yan as it passes by Keuka Spring Winery on Newsletter Highlights Nov 1st. Photo compliments of Kari. President‘s Report…................................... 1 In this edition of our newsletter Hydrofracking/Well Disposal Report… …2-3 is a member listing. We hope that your name is among them, but if you have not re- Membership Update……………………........4 newed yet or are not a member, please send in your check today. A full directory will KLAeidoscope of Keuka Contest …………..4 Communications Report……………………..4 be forthcoming early next year, once we have the final re-numbering for changes cur- Water Quality Report…..….……………….,,,5 rently being proposed for the Town of Jerusalem. Remember, our mission is to Navigation & Recreation..……………... .….,6 “preserve and protect Keuka Lake and its natural beauty for future generations” and Scholarship Info……………………………….6 we need your continued support to fulfill this. Composting……………………………..…..7-8 Finger Lakes Museum………………….….8-9 2010 Membership Roster…….....10,11,18-22 KLA Member Ads………………..……....12-17 All of us at the KLA send you and your New Members……………………………….22 Critter Corner: Kat……………...…………...22 Business Members & Advertisers…….…..23 families best wishes for the holidays. Order Forms………………………….…......24 Calendars - Overseas Service Persons.....24 KLA Directors and Officers…….....…….. 24 Keuka Events Calendar……...…….….......24 KLA Logo Apparel Order Info…….….…….25 Advertising Info………………....…….… .…25 DOCK PLATES & NUMBERS KLA Office Info…………………..……….…25 Both are available through the KLA Office. See order form on page 24 or Membership Application Form……….……25 stop in a the KLA Office, 142 Main St. Penn Yan. We can offer you a new Calendar Photos………………………….9,26 dock plate or help you update the one you already have. Page 2 December 2010 KLA Newsletter Hydrofracking & Well Disposal Committee report - Jim Barre Recent KLA Hydrofracking & Well Disposal Committee Activities The Keuka Lake Association Hydrofracking and Well Disposal Committee has been active in addressing Hydrofracking activities in the region. The KLA presented comments to the Federal EPA at a meeting held in Binghamton, NY on September 15, 2010. The KLA stressed that horizontal hydrofracking for natural gas should not be permitted until the EPA can assure that the process will not contaminate our air and water; and, a pro- cess is available for treating and disposing of flowback waste that renders the waste suitable for surface dis- charge. The KLA has written New York State officials concerning the proposed staff cuts in the NYS-DEC. The DEC Division of Mineral Resources needs sufficient staffing to develop appropriate regulations of hydrofracking for natural gas. Should horizontal hydrofracking be permitted, adequate inspection staffing must be provided. The expense of this additional staffing should be the responsibility of the energy companies who will benefit from the revenues of these operations. The KLA has been actively participating in the Finger Lakes Regional Watershed Alliance (FLRWA) with its efforts to preserve and protect the Finger Lakes Watershed. The KLA attended "What's All This About Fracking?" forum held at Ithaca College on November 3, 2010.The subject of hydrofracking crosses a multitude of fields — the sciences, agriculture, business, citizen- ship, economics, employment, health, philosophy, politics, psychology, media, recreation, sociology, tourism, and more. Ithaca College hosted this educational forum that touched on these multidisciplinary aspects. This program was moderated by the Binghamton NPR affiliate WSKG, and featured the noted following ex- perts from various fields as well as an industry professional and a representative of a pro-drilling landowners' coalition. Tony Ingraffea, Ph.D., P.E. (NYS), the D.C. Baum Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, lead the forum and looked at the physics of the gas extraction process via hydrofracking. Ingraffea's research concen- trates on complex fracturing processes, and he has been a principal investigator on research and development projects from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Gas Research Institute, and Schlumberger, among many others. His numerous awards include two Research in Rock Mechanics Awards from the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics and awards for outstanding teaching at Cornell. He organized and was the first director of the Synthesis National Engineering Education Coalition, a team of eight diverse engineering colleges. The thrust of Dr. Ingraffea‘s comments are that hydrofracking involves risks that are know and unknown. Natu- ral gas in the Marcellus Shale is not going anywhere so we should slow down until we understand from a scien- tific basis the causes and solutions to these concerns. John Holko, President of Lenape Resources, Inc., and also representing the Independent Oil and Gas As- sociation of New York, shared the industry perspective on jobs and the economic benefits of drilling. Lenape Re- sources is the operating arm of Lenape Energy, Inc. Along with its sister companies Lenape Drilling, Inc. and Lenape Gathering Corp, Lenape Resources is involved in the exploration, development, gathering, and market- ing of oil and gas in the Appalachian basin, with a primary focus in New York and Pennsylvania. John Holko discussed the direct and indirect economic advantages of hydrofracking for natural gas in the Mar- cellus Shale. He indicated that hydrofracking would create jobs and demand for housing and food. He exclud- ed any discussion of the reported problems occurring in Pennsylvania Lorin Cooper, Chair of the Political Action and Public Relations Committee of of the Schuyler County Land- owners Association, discussed how this drilling education and advocacy group works to ensure the most favora- ble contract provisions for those who lease their land to drilling companies and the economic benefits the coali- tion expects. Cooper is retired from the Steuben Allegany BOCES, where he was the director of vocational edu- cation and alternative high schools. He had previously worked as a research analyst for the New York State Ed- ucation Department. Mr. Cooper indicated that unnecessary fear was being created by groups opposed to hy- drofracking while landowners with natural gas leases are prevented from getting revenues from gas under their property. He emphasized that now is the time to move forward and commence hydrofracking. Jannette Barth, Ph.D., President of J. M. Barth and Associates, an economics research and consulting firm specializing in demand analysis and forecasting, discussed her findings about the deep and broad economic im- pacts of hydrofracking in the Marcellus Shale. Barth, in her study which unlike others was not funded Cont. on page 3 Page 3 December 2010 KLA Newsletter KLA Hydrofracking activities cont. from pg.2 industry, looked at employment and demographic information in areas where drilling has taken place in Pennsyl- vania and western states. The report, titled "Unanswered Questions About the Economic Impact of Gas Drilling in the Marcellus Shale: Don‘t Jump to Conclusions," was released in March. Dr. Barth questioned the total economic benefit to an area. She indicated that it is likely short term and not as significant as proponents of hydrofracking are indicating. The proposed economic benefits do not take into account the contamination of air water and the environment. Robert Howarth, Ph.D., the David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology and Environmental Biology at Cornell Uni- versity, discussed his study on the greenhouse gas footprint of Marcellus shale. Dr. Howarth aims, in his re- search, to address both fundamental ecological questions and to contribute to practical issues of environmental management. He is conducting a full life-cycle analysis of greenhouse-gas emissions from shale gas develop- ment relative to existing fossil fuel and alternative renewable energy sources. Dr. Howarth indicated that, while the actual burning of natural gas is less damaging than other fossil fuels, the leaks of natural gas in the pipelines and processes from the well to the final point of combustion make the natural gas benefits debatable. Helen Slottje, a Public Interest Attorney with the non-profit law firm, Community Environmental Defense Council, Inc., addressed the legal challenges confronting residents and communities. She was lead attorney for citizens on the lawsuit challenging the Village of Horseheads‘ finding that there would be no significant environ- mental impact from a new 88-acre drilling