Auburn-area leaders to Hochul: Don't let us become next Flint

A rainbow breaks out after a brief afternoon shower looking east from Scipio over farm land along the Cayuga County countryside and Owasco Lake. (Kevin Rivoli - The Citizen)


Auburn Mayor Michael Quill and Owasco Supervisor Ed Wagner delivered an urgent message to Gov. Kathy Hochul: Don't let Cayuga County become the next Flint, Michigan.

Quill and Wagner signed a joint letter to Hochul criticizing the state's response to Owasco Lake water quality concerns. Both leaders also note they requested a meeting with the governor, but have not received a reply.

The letter, which was emailed to Hochul's office and shared at the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council meeting Tuesday, urges the governor to direct the state Department of Health to adopt the the locally drafted watershed rules and regulations "without substantial revisions."

The watershed rules and regulations haven't been updated since 1984. A group of local stakeholders began working on the changes after toxins from harmful algal blooms were found in drinking water.

In 2020, the city of Auburn and town of Owasco signed off on the proposal and submitted it to the state Department of Health. The agency did not issue a formal response until 2022.

The state Department of Health released its proposed revisions in August, leading local officials to say the agency has "failed us" by drafting weaker watershed protections.

One of the main differences between the documents is the local plan sought to address nutrient management through stronger regulations. The state plan calls for voluntary participation in an environmental program, but does not include any new rules to combat this pollution.

Quill and Wagner also ask Hochul to order the state Department of Environmental Conservation to develop a total maximum daily load, a pollution control plan, for Owasco Lake. Auburn city councilors and Owasco town board members passed resolutions in September asking for what's known as a TMDL.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a TMDL is needed for Owasco Lake because of the presence of harmful algal blooms.

"Without both actions, Cayuga County, New York, like Flint, Michigan, may soon become a nationwide byword for state government mismanagement and neglect," Quill and Wagner wrote.

It is the latest attempt by local leaders to ask the state for stronger watershed protections, especially after the Department of Health's proposed revisions that, in their view, fall short of what's needed to ensure clean water for residents.

State and local elected officials who represent Auburn and Cayuga County held a press conference in September asking for strengthened watershed rules and regulations. Days later, another press conference was held with elected officials and environmental groups requesting a TMDL.

Auburn and Owasco officials have not ruled out suing the state over the watershed rules dispute.