The DEC is holding a series of meetings, one to be held Monday evening in Lima, billed as a discussion of the “State Of The Western Finger Lakes Fisheries” meetings. Monday’s meeting, open to the public, will be from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the ELIM Bible Institute’s Tab Chapel, 7245 College Street, in Lima. The Lima meeting will present information about the status of the fisheries in Canadice and Hemlock lakes.
According to local anti-fracking activists, who spoke to the GeneseeSun.com on condition of anonymity, the Lima meeting appears to have been quietly rescheduled from its initial date. The initial distribution of information indicated that the meeting was to be held Tuesday, May 20, but information on the DEC’s website shows a date of Monday, May 19th. A spokesperson at the DEC confirmed the Monday date. Other than the new information, located in one line in the middle of a DEC website page, however, there appears to have been no publicity informing the public of the change. Sources at Elim Bible Institute indicated that there was a conflict with use of the facility that led to the change.
The DEC is at the center of an intensifying controversy over hydrofracking in and around the Canadice and Hemlock watershed areas. An initial draft of the Unit Management Plan for the area included language in a number of places that indicated permits for oil and natural gas drilling would be issued. Sources speculate that the current draft may have that language removed, but that the DEC would prefer to avoid questions about the issue at Monday’s meeting.
The meeting is open to the public. Information is available at the DEC website.
A number of activist groups have formed around the fracking issue locally. Information about fracking in the fingerlakes is available at the facebook page of one such group, Protect Hemlock and Canadice Lakes