Risky Business

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.

Next TCCPI Meeting

Friday, December 15, 2023

9 to 11 am

TCCPI meetings have moved online. Contact Peter Bardaglio, the TCCPI coordinator, for further details at pbardaglio@gmail.com.

Ithaca Carshare makes a comeback thanks to the efforts of State Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles.

The Black Diamond Trail is currently 8.4 miles, stretching from Jacksonville Road in Trumansburg to the Ithaca Children’s Garden. The northern part of the trail goes from the city of Ithaca’s waterfront area to Taughannock Falls State Park, while the stage is now set for the trail’s southern expansion from Buttermilk to Treman. 

During a Common Council Meeting on Oct. 4, Town of Ithaca Deputy Supervisor Rich DePaolo, said the town acquired the last private property needed to start the expansion project of the southern part of the trail.

Bill Goodman, Ithaca Town Board Member and former supervisor, said the town had been working with the state and the county to acquire three parcels. Two were purchased in spring 2023, while the third was purchased in September 2023. 

From here, Goodman said the town is hoping the state soon purchases the land, giving the town the money to complete the trail. Goodman said people he has spoken to are looking forward to using the southern part of the trail once it is completed. 

Network of Trails

“Whenever I’ve been telling people […] who are into trails, everybody’s very excited because the Black Diamond Trail has been planned for decades,” Goodman said. “So the actual construction is still probably a couple of years. But at least we’ve now secured into public ownership, all the land that’s needed.”

Goodman said the overall goal is to create a network of trails, which include the Black Diamond Trail, the South Hill Trail, and the Gateway Trail.

“We’ll have three three large trail connections going,” Goodman said. “I’ve used the northern portion of the Black Diamond Trail and I’m looking forward to using the southern portion because it is very close to us here, located right in the town of Ithaca. So within a couple of years, people will be able to ride and bike many miles through the trails network.

Additionally, Goodman said the City of Ithaca is working on a portion of the trail that would be going through city property, where the City of Ithaca will be constructing a bridge that will allow people to cross the Cayuga Inlet. Goodman said people will be able to go from the Taughannock Falls, to Buttermilk Falls and Treman State Park once the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ithaca completes their parts of the trail.

“Making progress is a key component of the overall county’s trails network priority trails […] and [it] can help with recreation and with community and with tourism,” Goodman said. 

Cayuga Lake is one of our community’s most precious natural assets. Not only does it offer a large array of recreational opportunities, but it also provides the drinking water for over 100,000 people. As global warming accelerates and fresh water sources become increasingly scarce, we are fortunate to have such a plentiful resource available. In addition, as Assemblymember Anna Kelles points out in the above news article, the $3-billion-dollar local agritourism economy, which employs 60,000 people, depends on the lake.

Little wonder, then, why there is growing concern about the future of the Cargill Salt Mine after reports surfaced that the company is looking to sell the operation. Cargill has been operating the mine since 1970. It produces roughly 2 million tons of road salt each year and ships it to over 1,500 locations throughout New York and the Northeast. The mine goes down 2,300 feet, making it the deepest salt mine in North America, and it runs for more than seven miles underground.

Inside the Cargill Salt Mine. Photo by Bill Hecht.

Lack of Environmental Safeguards

Despite pressure from local environmental organizations, the Cargill Salt Mine has never been required to carry out an environmental impact statement. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has only required Cargill to post a $3.5 million bond to insure the mine in the event of a potential flood, an amount that clearly falls far short of what would be needed in such an instance.

Make no mistake: the collapse of one of Cargill’s salt mines is not a theoretical proposition. A roof collapse in December 2020 killed two miners at its Avery Island mine in Louisiana. Cargill shut down the mine in June 2022 and intentionally flooded it.

Time to Speak Out

Geologic experts have warned that a similar event could take place at Cargill’s salt mine under Cayuga Lake. Members of Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN), as reported above, are calling for the company to put in place a financial guarantee bond of $10 billion in event of a catastrophic event. Aside from this awful possibility, the Community Science Institute findings underscore the fact that the current salt concentration of the lake water is already reaching unhealthy levels. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see that a mine collapse would dramatically worsen the situation.

We are fortunate to have local legislators such as State Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles who are not afraid to take a stand and are calling on Governor Hochul and the NYSDEC to halt the reported sale of the Cargill Salt Mine and undertake a review process that would include contingency plans with a financial commitment in the event of a disaster.

Tompkins County residents have the opportunity this Wednesday, November 8 at the next meeting of the County Legislature to make their voices heard on this vital matter. The County Climate and Sustainable Energy Advisory Board will be presenting a resolution asking the legislators to back the effort to have the Governor and NYSDEC step in to assure the safety of the community’s drinking water and take measures to mitigate the other environmental risks of continued mining beneath the lake, including requiring Cargill or any future buyer to post a $1 billion environmental bond.

Privilege of the floor, where you can speak out, will begin about 5:45 pm. In addition, you may write to the legislators at www.tompkinscountyny.gov/legislature/email.

Peter Bardaglio

TCCPI Coordinator