INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

It has been a while since I last appeared before the TB and public to provide comments about our contamination problem.
I’ve been very busy working on many things … focused on better understanding the impact on our health and property and making sure that all elected officials and pertinent agencies (local, state, federal) are doing their job in representing the people of the plume.

RECENT ACTIVITY:

I worked with the DEC and AG to better understand the product testing mechanism be used at the DLS Sand & Gravel pit.

Come to find out, there is none!!!!
Combine this with knowing the Syracusa property is contaminated and that DEC has not started clean up and the DEC is concerned about where any product may have gone (i.e. they tested the Turner’s place for this reason) …. The DEC had no choice but to acknowledge and enforce the problem Syracusa had with permit paper work since 2002.
Some questions that come to mind after this:

Is DLS Sand & Gravel out of compliance with any Town ordinance?

What about the debris that lays on the property after they tore down the dilapidated house?
What about the unlicensed trailers sitting in front of their building?
Are trucks of this nature supposed to use State roads (i.e. Boughton Hill, Rt. 444) versus Town roads (i.e. Dryer Rd. and Willis Hill)?

Has any body looked into where Syracusa may have delivered product since 1990?

You must assume the product is suspect given that no clean up has taken place and DEC knows that DLS Sand & Gravel property is contaminated.
What about all of the construction that has been going on at the school over the years? Has Syracusa delivered there? Has anybody from the Town or DEC thought of asking Dr. McCellaran to find out where all the sand and gravel product for these construction projects has come from?

At this point, DEC is entertaining the idea of allowing DLS Sand & Gravel to continue mining operations.

We would urge the Town officials to contact DEC and “demand” an explanation as to how DEC justifies this. We would also ask each of the Town officials to state how they justify such an action.

I have met with representatives from the State Attorney General’s office in Rochester two weeks back.

Disappointed in not seeing any representatives from the Town there.
Nozzolio and Errigo attended.
They are very interested in better understanding this issue.
They will partner with the DEC in terms of investigating and litigating wrong doing in this case.

Of course we’ll see how they do with this re-mining consideration.

They will partner with us in reporting to our State Legislators what we might recommend from a legislative perspective.

We are attempting to get them to come and meet with us.

They understand the importance and value of a Task Force.

We have won property assessment challenges via the Small Claims Assessment Review process …

my assessment has been reduced by some 38K …
Another resident was also successful in their challenge …
7570 Dryer Rd. has sold for about 49K below the assessed value.
This shows an absolute impact on property values.
Justification for a Property Protection/Buyout Plan.
Problems (given the uniqueness of the problem) with assessment process identified.

I have met and spoke with local researchers and leading environmental non profit organizations …

Rebecca Morley from the National Center for Healthy Housing.

A former Victor resident who works closely with Dee Lewis.
Organized a meeting with researchers in epidemiology from the UofR.

UofR researchers are very interested in helping us better understand the health impact and providing us information on cancer cluster studies.

Lenny Siegel from the Center for Environmental Oversight.

Testified to a U.S. Senate sub-committee on superfund issues.
Referenced our contamination issue via Jackie’s recent letter.
Complete testimony can be found on our web site.

Dee Lewis from the National Disease Cluster Alliance.

NDCA has submitted a proposal for conducting a comprehensive collection and analysis (by leading scientists) of disease data …. Other objectives where included in the proposal.

Both Dee and Lenny have worked with our U.S. Senator Clinton on proposed legislation titled “TCE Reduction Act of 2007”

The press release about this proposed legislation from Clinton referenced our contamination problem.
Details can be referenced on our web page.

I’ve been invited to make a presentation at a gathering of NYS environmental groups (from Endicott, Hopewell Junction, Ithaca, etc) in Albany in November.

We will attempt to document some common problems and prepare a report to our local and state legislators that might include suggestions on ordinances and legislation that could help improve how contamination sites are addressed, now and in the future.

Talked to Louis Gibbs’s non-profit … they are interested in the situation and continue to speak with me and help me with organizational and strategy issues.
All concur with the approach being taken by the Victor Citizens Against Contamination.

Identify short-term, mid-term and long-term issues and needs.
Identify the key officials in position to make decisions.
Work with a core group of people to see that these key officials are addressing each of the issues and needs as outlined.

CONCLUSION:

At this point, there is a great deal of work to be done:

Complete public water hookups to those in the plume at no cost to them.
Conduct independent collection and analysis of disease data.
Continued re-sampling and monitoring of 18 homes identified by the DEC as being so actionable.
Establish a property protection/buyout plan that goes beyond assessment analysis.

This may require hiring a property appraisal firm with experience in environmental impact studies.

Creation of a Capital Project Fund to support this work, the DEC’s clean up efforts and assists in the overall revitalization of the plume area.
Hire an independent environmental expert to help us understand and critique the DEC Interim Remedial Measure and long term clean up plan.
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of where potential contaminated sand and gravel product might be in our community.

I believe this work is best managed by a formally appointed Task Force, which I understand will be voted on tonight. I hope that each of the Town Board members and the Supervisor was able to read and consider the comments that I collected from a number of citizens … and that this information was considered when composing the proposition that will be presented and voted on tonight.

I believe that a Task Force will give the community, especially those in the plume, confidence that the contamination issue is being addressed with appropriate oversight.

I believe that it is also a means by which the community can best correspond with local, state and federal representatives and agencies and visa-versa.

With that, I thank the Town Board, Madam Supervisor and the general public for your consideration in allowing me Privilege of the Floor and supporting me tonight.