Seneca Supervisors committee: Request alternate LPG site

 

WATERLOO — Several weeks ago, state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-54 of Fayette, urged state officials to help Inergy Midstream LLC find an alternate location for the underground storage of liquefied petroleum gas.

Nozzolio expressed concern about the safety and possible negative impacts of the LPG storage and transportation hub proposed for the western shore of Seneca Lake in the Schuyler County town of Reading.

Nozzolio received support Tuesday night from the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors.

Committee chairman Stephen Churchill, D-Seneca Falls, said Seneca County has jurisdiction over most of Seneca Lake and he joins Nozzolio in being concerned about a reported cave collapse in a salt mine where Inergy wants to store propane and butane.

“There have been salt leaks as well. This is a high-risk venture for Seneca Lake’s quality. Storing LPG in these caves is not a good idea,” Churchill said. “We share Sen. Nozzolio’s concerns, and I’m proposing we make the same request that the DEC work with Inergy to find another site.”

Churchill cited an abundance of information on the LPG project on the Internet and strong opposition research by Gas Free Seneca.

“We recently made Route 414 a scenic byway and across the lake people will see this operation,” he added.

Committee member Keith Kubasik, R-Waterloo, questioned why anyone would be allowed to threaten the lake, given its importance as a drinking water source and other purposes.

A motion to ask the DEC to find an alternate site was approved by a 5-0 vote. It now goes to the full board March 12.