auburnpub.com

It looks like the local residents and out-of-towners who have been clamoring in recent weeks for the city to stop allowing natural gas firms to dump wastewater from gas wells at the city sewage treatment plant are closer than ever to getting their wish.

AUBURN – The debate over natural gas well water at the city sewage plant continued as residents, city officials and the natural gas industry sounded off on the issue.

Multiple industry professionals discussed the drilling, permitting and testing process during Thursday’s city council meeting, asking councilors to consider what they said is all the data before deciding whether to stop processing well water at the plant.

At the same meeting, area residents continued asking the city to stop taking the water, which they say is an environmental hazard.

A group of local residents concerned about natural gas drilling issues will gather next week to raise their voices at city hall in Auburn.

The Cayuga Anti-Fracking Alliance is organizing a rally planned for 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 2 to publically call on the Auburn City Council to ban the acceptance of any water at the city’s sewage treatment plant that comes from natural gas exploration. The plant is one of the only remaining public plants in the state to accept natural gas well water.