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TOMPKINS COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COUNCIL 121 East Court Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Telephone (607) 274-5560 http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/emc EMC Final Minutes 1 April 12, 2018 4:00 p.m. 2 Tompkins County Old Jail Conference Room, 125 E. Court St, Ithaca, NY 3 4 Attendance 5 Member Seat Member Seat Steve Bissen P Town of Dryden Amanda Champion P Legislative Liaison Maureen Bolton P Town of Enfield Susan Allen-Gil E Associate Member Cait Darfler P Town of Ulysses Karen Edelstein A Associate Member John Dennis P Village of Lansing Bill Evans E Associate Member Brian Eden P Village of Cayuga Heights Anna Kelles A Associate Member Pegi Ficken E Town of Groton Dooley Kiefer P Associate Member Michelle Henry P Town of Newfield Dan Klein E Associate Member Anne Klingensmith P Town of Danby Jose Lozano P Associate Member James Knighton E At-Large Osamu Tsuda P Associate Member Vladimir Micic E Town of Ithaca David Weinstein A Associate Member Steve Nicholson P Town of Caroline Robert Wesley A Associate Member Susan Riley P At-Large Roger Yonkin A Associate Member Tom Shelley P Ithaca CAC Scott Doyle P EMC Coordinator Don Smith P At-Large Kristin McCarthy P County Staff Ron Syzmanski E Village of Freeville Regi Teasley P At-Large 6 Guests – Joel Malina, Jeff Tester, Bert Bland (Cornell University); Jonathan Comstock, 7 Joe Wilson, Louise Mudrak, Buzz Levine, Pat Dubin, Marie McRae, Tony Ingraffea 8 Call to Order – Chair Brian Eden called the meeting to order at 4:03 p.m. 9 Privilege of the Floor – None 10 Agenda Review/Changes – None 11 Approval of the Minutes – A motion was made by Tom Shelley, seconded by Michelle 12 Henry, to approve the February 8, 2018, minutes. The motion carried. 13 14 Update: Cornell Earth Source Heat Project – J. Malina, J. Tester, and B. Bland 15 16 Cornell’s goal is to have a Carbon Neutral Campus by 2035. Half of campus energy use 17 is currently for heat. Goal is to use renewable energy to power the electricity. The steam 18 distribution system will need updating to accommodate the potential heat provided by 19 the Earth Source Heat project. 20 21 Initial project is broken into two stages: 22 23 1. Conduct remote sensing and testing to determine background seismicity and 24 geologic structure. 25 2. Drill a pilot test hole to 15,000 feet, the deepest one ever drilled locally. 26 27 A public information forum on the project is planned for May 17th. Susan Riley will share 28 more details once she has them. 29 30 It will probably take a couple of years to acquire the funding needed to dig the first test 31 hole. A second test hole will be utilized to check the permeability, injectivity, and flow 32 between the two holes. Passive seismic testing (shallow gamaphones) and thumper 33 truck activity will occur this summer and fall. The team will also perform deep-surface 34 imaging. 35 36 Local and state regulatory bodies have oversight for drilling permits. 37 38 Attendees asked the presenters several questions. A few examples follow here below: 39 Q: What range of temperatures are you looking for? 40 41 A: Some wells drilled to 10,000 feet hit basement rock, where gradients are higher in 42 our area than in other parts of the eastern U.S. Temperatures tend to increase 25 43 degrees C per kilometer, but it won’t be known for certain until the hole is drilled. 44 Ballpark temperature to go after would be 80-120 degrees C. Temperatures will be 45 enhanced if necessary. The hotter the water, typically the less heat conversion is 46 needed at the surface end. 47 48 Q: How wide will the final hole be? 49 A: Flow rates and depth will determine the diameter of the hole. Often holes tend to be 50 12 inches wide at the bottom with steel casing along the length of the hole. Holes drilled 51 into crystalline basement rock can stay open because that kind of rock is stable. 52 53 Q: Is it in fact a closed loop? 54 A: Not really. A full injection back into the hole is required. By pumping out of the 55 production well, water losses can be reduced. 56 57 Q: How porous is the crystalline bedrock? 58 A: The bedrock at the project depth (~10,000 to 15,000 feet below ground surface) is 59 granitic (metamorphosed granite) bedrock. The rock porosity is less than 1 percent, and 60 the permeability will be very low as well. However, fracture permeability is present, and 61 that's what's important for moving the water through the rock to expose it to the heat. 62 63 Q: Is this proposed system like the one used in Iceland? 64 A: The surface pieces will be similar, but the geology is much different. It took Iceland 65 50 years to heat the entire country with earth source energy, so patience is called for. 66 67 Q: What are the contingency plans for seismic activity? 68 A: Microseismic events will happen. In acute situations, the project would be shut down 69 and the well vented. 70 71 Q: How far away from campus buildings will you build the well? 72 A: It needs to be on Cornell-owned land so it can connect to the power system. We will 73 stay away from residential areas. Ideally, it would be within a few miles of campus. 74 75 EMC March 15th Public Event Reflection 76 • Scott Doyle was impressed by the turnout and event execution. A great cross-77 section of people attended, and he has fielded several requests for more 78 information about the EMC from some of them. 79 • Michelle Henry and other members echoed Scott’s sentiments. 80 • Susan Riley asked everyone to start thinking now of topics for the fall EMC 81 outreach event. 82 83 EMC Member Participation Expectations 84 • Municipal representatives should be more proactive about reporting back to their 85 town or village officials on EMC meetings. 86 • Members who can’t make committee meetings can help out from home. 87 • Amanda Champion is promoting EMC membership among her contacts. 88 Members should continue to do the same. 89 • Members with limited availability can sign up to help with special events, such as 90 tabling for Earth Day. 91 92 EMC Earth Day Tabling 93 • Brian would like the EMC table to focus on waste minimization and reduction. 94 95 Staff Report: Scott Doyle 96 • Short discussion of history of plastic bag reduction work with the EMC, including 97 a canvas EMC bag from 15 years ago that was sold to promote the reduction of 98 plastic bags. It has held up well! 99 • The EMC-approved Invasive Species list is live on the website. 100 • Streets Alive is Sunday, April 29. Ithaca BikeShare (LimeBike) launches soon. 101 102 Committee Reports 103 104 Climate Adaptation: Michelle Henry 105 • James Knighton shared data collected from the surveys; in general researchers 106 and others doing environmental fieldwork accurately assessed the history of 107 flooding in the County. Municipal officials and employees, however, had different 108 understandings of flood impacts. 109 • Regi Teasley and Michelle met with Town of Lansing historian Louise Bement, 110 who passed on a trove of artifacts about flooding in the County. Susan Allen-Gil 111 is working with her students now to organize this information. 112 • Members haven’t heard back from the Cayuga Lake Watershed Inter-Municipal 113 Organization or Cayuga Lake Watershed Network regarding the committee’s 114 request for data on watershed flooding. 115 • Committee is deciding whether to stick with flooding or focus on a new topic. 116 • Michelle said that James wondered if Scott applied for the Resiliency Dialogues 117 program he mentioned. Scott said the County has yet to formally apply. 118 • James also told her that work with the City of Ithaca Flooding Task Force is 119 proceeding well. 120 Environmental Review: Brian Eden 121 • Toxic lead levels were again found at Ithaca Falls despite large sums having 122 been spent on previous cleanups. 123 • The NYSDEC published the Chain Works remedial investigation factsheet. There 124 are 16 areas of concern; a lot of the buildings and soil are contaminated. EMC 125 should advocate for a thorough site remediation as there is pressure to continue 126 moving the project forward because the site is a valuable asset with much 127 development potential. 128 • Developers of the proposed garbage incinerator in Romulus have circumvented 129 local decision-making and brought the project to the State for approval under 130 Article 10 of the NYS Public Service Law, Board on Electric Generation Siting 131 and the Environment, which allows energy projects to be approved at the state 132 level instead of locally. In response Sen. Pamela Helming, who represents 133 Romulus and the surrounding area, has introduced legislation that would remove 134 incinerators from the list of acceptable projects under Article 10. Sen. Tom 135 O’Mara of Elmira, the Senate Environmental Committee Chair, co-sponsored the 136 bill. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton is the Assembly co-sponsor. 137 • Brian will send Amanda a digital copy of the DEC report to read before she and 138 other legislators visit the Chain Works site. 139 • Cargill on-site wastewater facility. Dooley received some technical information 140 from the Division of Environmental Health. It was passed on to James for his 141 review. 142 • NYSDEC has issued proposed revisions to SEQR and is seeking public 143 comment until May 4th. 144 • A second Article 78 was filed against the Town of Dryden, this time the Planning 145 Board, in regards to the proposed solar farm. 146 • There is pressure to finish the Lansing Comp Plan by May 2nd so that the Town 147 can apply for Myers Park infrastructure improvement funding. 148 • Lansing Rod & Gun Club – EPA entered a Consent Order with the Club requiring 149 a solution to prevent further discharge of lead shot into Salmon Creek and the 150 nearby wetlands within 18 months. The 18 months have expired and the 151 discharges continue. 152 Unique Natural Areas: Steve Nicholson 153 • Committee wants to organize a field trip to Malloryville Bog and invite the public. 154 Possible dates are May 5th and May 12th; they are waiting to hear back from 155 Bob Beck on his availability. Steve Nicholson will see if Robert Wesley can go. 156 • The contracts for the UNA consultants should be finalized shortly. 157 158 Water Resources Council Liaison: Michelle Henry 159 • Roxy Johnston, Jon Negley, and Darby Kiley reported on the Harmful Algal 160 Blooms (HABs) Summit at SUNY-ESF on March 5th and 6th. 161 • The NYSDEC Finger Lakes W ater Hub plans to release a post-conference HABs 162 action plan in May. 163 • Lots of discussion took place on cyanobacteria and impact of large-scale 164 agriculture. 165 • On a related note, John Dennis reported that environmental engineer Damian 166 Helbling is testing the water quality of Fall Creek and finding spikes of Roundup 167 and other herbicides in warmer months like April, May, etc. 168 169 Executive: Brian Eden 170 • Tom Shelley will act as interim chair of the Waste Minimization Committee. Other 171 members include Maureen Bolton, Anne Klingensmith. Cait Darfler, Amanda 172 Champion, and Jose Lozano. Tom will ask Susan A. if she would like to join. 173 • Michelle suggested adding Plastic Tides to the Waste Minimization Committee’s 174 list of community partners. 175 • Dooley Kiefer will try to have the EMC Bylaws revisions ready for the May 176 meeting. 177 • Brian is reviewing the final draft of the 2017 EMC Annual Report. Next stop is 178 PDEQ in May. 179 • Brian will coordinate with Kristin McCarthy on revising the new member packet. 180 • Brian, Cait, and Kristin will collaborate on updating the EMC website. 181 • Members should think of questions to ask Barbara Eckstrom at the May 10th 182 meeting. Scott will reach out to Barbara for a copy of the County’s Solid Waste 183 Management Plan, per Brian’s request. 184 • Members would like a pre-meeting tour of the ReUse Center if possible; Scott will 185 check with Diane Cohen. 186 187 188 Municipal Reports and Member Announcements 189 • Tom attended the first meeting of the City of Ithaca’s new Parks, Recreation, and 190 Natural Resources Commission on April 9th. He hopes to continue reporting to 191 the EMC as the Commission’s representative. 192 • Steve N. reported that the annual statewide DEC update for EMCs and CACs will 193 take place in Albany on June 4th. 194 • Jose asked about the status of the County food waste recycling plan. Amanda 195 said that the program will continue and shared that she and some other 196 legislators are exploring the idea of passing a law mandating that large 197 businesses recycle their food waste. 198 • Community Science Institute is hosting a forum on HABs and Nonpoint Source 199 Pollution at The Space@Greenstar on April 14th. 200 • Brian will allot time in future meeting agendas to discuss HABs. 201 • Michelle noted that the developers (Nexamp) of the Millard Hill community solar 202 project in Newfield want to leave logged trees lying on the ground instead of 203 removing them from the property. 204 • Anne Klingensmith said there have been reports of possible logging on a UNA 205 property in Danby. Steve N. will investigate. 206 • Don Smith reminded everyone that CCETC is hosting the Compost Fair April 207 29th. Michelle said not to forget the 4-H Duck Race! 208 209 Adjournment 210 Action: Chair Brian Eden adjourned the meeting at 5:55 p.m. 211 212 These draft minutes will be formally considered by the EMC at its next monthly meeting, 213 and corrections or notations will be incorporated at that time. 214 Prepared by Kristin McCarthy, Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability 215 Department 216 Approved by EMC: 217 218