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BEATRICEHAVRANEK
CountyAttorney
845-340-3685
ULSTERCOUNTYATTORNEY
240FairStreet,POBox1800Kingston,NewYork12402845-340-3685·Fax:845-340-3691
MICHAELP.HEINCLINTONG.JOHNSON
FirstAssistantCountyAttorney
845-340-3685
CountyExecutive
KRISTINA.GUMAER
AssistantCountyAttorney
845-334-5402WILLIAMN.CLOONAN
AssistantCountyAttorney
845-340-3685SUSAN
K.
PLONSKI
AssistantCountyAttorney/ContractManager
845-340-3441
Servicebyfacsimileore-mailnotaccepted
ROLANDA.BLOOMER
AssistantCountyAttorney/AssistantContractManager
845-331-2447
July13,2012
VIAUPSOVERNIGHTMAIL
NewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservationDivisionofWater,BureauofResourceManagement625BroadwayAlbany,NewYork12233Attn:MarcGerstman,ExecutiveDeputyCommissionerRE:IntheMatterofAllegedViolationsofArticle17oftheNYSEnvironmentalConservationLawoftheStateofNewYork,Section750etseq.oftheOfficialCompilationofCodes,RulesandRegulationsoftheStateofNewYork,andSPDESPermit
#
NY0264652(CatAlumSPDESPermit)OrderonConsentDECCaseNo.D007-0001-11DearMr.Gerstman:Asyouknow,IamtheCountyAttorneyand,assuch,representtheCountyofUlsteranditsofficersandemployees.OnJuly10,2012,IsubmittedtoyouthefirstsetofwrittencommentsregardingtheaboveproceedingonbehalfofTheHonorableMichaelP.Hein,CountyExecutiveoftheCountyofUlster.IreservedtheCounty'srighttosubmitfurtherwrittencommentsuptoandincluding5:00p.m.onJuly16,2012,theextendeddeadlineforsubmissionofcomments.ThefollowingcommentsrepresentfurtherwrittencommentsonbehalfoftheUlsterCountyExecutive.AllreservoiroperationsaffectdownstreamcommunitiesalongtheLowerEsopusCreek.ThisistruewhetherornottheNewYorkCityDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection(hereinafterreferredtoasthe"DEP")isreleasingfromtheAshokanReservoir.WithinNewYorkCity'swatersupplywatershed,theCityofNewYorkshowcasesitsprogramsandrelationshipswiththewatershedcommunitiesasaworld-widemodelofenvironmentalstewardship.Unfortunately,thisisnottruefortheLowerEsopusCreekwhichhasbecomethe
 
environmentalvictimoftheactionsoftheDEPandtheCityofNewYork.ItisbothdisturbingandunacceptablethatthedraftproposedOrderonConsent,whichisthesubjectofthesecomments,failstoadequatelyaddressthehavocreignedupontheLowerEsopusCreek,theCountyofUlster,andthecitizensofUlsterCountybytheDEPandCityofNewYork.AsaddressedinmyJuly10,2012commentlettertoyou,theCountyofUlsterhasneverbeenaffordedthecourtesyofparticipatinginthesettlementnegotiationsbetweentheDEPandtheNewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation(hereinafterreferredtoasthe"DEC.")Infact,theDEPhasalreadysignedtheOrderonConsent.Assuch,itistheearnesthopethatthesecomments,aswellasanyandallcommentsreceivedbytheDECfromtheCountyofUlsteroranyoneelse,arenotanexerciseinfutility.
TheInterimReleaseProtocol
TheInterimReleaseProtocolisnotinfullcompliancewiththeStateEnvironmentalQualityReviewAct(SEQRA)inthatitassumesanoutcomeandlacksacomprehensivealternativesanalysis.TheInterimReleaseProtocolshouldbeseparatedfromthedraftproposedOrderonConsent,withtheexceptionoftheconservationreleases,asitremovesitfromtheSEQRAprocessandpermitsturbidreleaseswhichexceedNewYorkStateWaterQualityStandards,andfurtherfailstoconformtotheCleanWaterAct.Attheveryleast,theOrderonConsent,aspartoftheInterimReleaseProtocol,shouldeliminateoperationalreleases,setstricterturbiditylimitsfordischargemitigationreleases,increasetheamountofwaterforcommunityreleases,andprovideaprocessforreviewingandamendingtheInterimReleaseProtocolatleastsemiannuallysothatnewinformationcanbeincorporatedthereininregardstotheAshokanReleaseChannel.TheturbiditylimitfordischargemitigationreleasesintheInterimReleaseProtocolis300NTU.Thisistoohigh.ThelevelpermittedundertheProtocolshouldbeinkeepingwithNYSwaterqualitystandardsof"novisiblecontrast"ortoaspecificdifferentialasisnowdonefortheShandakenTunnelreleases.Thecommunityreleasesshouldbeincreasedtobaseflowreleasesat65MODduringthesummerseason(May1thruOctober31)and50MODinthewinterseason(November1thruApril30).TheseratescorrespondwiththoseproposedbytheLowerEsopusWatershedPartnership(LEWP)assetforthinitsJuly28,2010lettertoWillieJaneway,DECDirectorofRegion3,andwhichmoreaccuratelyreflectthehydrologicconditionsoftheEsopusCreek.TheDEPandtheCityofNewYorkshouldacknowledgeinthefinalOrderonConsentthattheAshokanReleaseChannelconstitutesanoperatingreleaseworksunder6NYCRRPart672-2.3;andtheDEPandtheCityofNewYorkwillnotobjectoropposeDECmodificationofPart672inordertoauthorizecommunityreleasesfromtheAshokanReservoirasDECdeemsnecessarypursuanttoitsauthorityunder6NYCRRPart672-2.3.2
 
LandownerAssistanceAsaddressedinmycommentletterofJuly10,2012,monetarydamagesandanyprocedureforthepaymentofthesedamagestolandownersshouldbemadepartofthefinalOrderonConsenttocompensatepropertyowners,bothpublicandprivate,thathavesuffereddamagesasaresultoftheactionsoftheDEPandtheCityofNewYork.Dramaticstreamchangeshavetakenplaceasaresultoftheturbidwaterreleasesandarecontinuing.AlthoughthedraftproposedOrderonConsentsetsasidefundsfora"LowerEsopusStreamManagementPlanDevelopment"andfor"LowerEsopusStreamManagementPlanImplementation,"thetimebetweentheonsetofthestudy,thecompletionofthestudy,andtheactualimplementationoftheplanwillnotprovideanyimmediatereliefforthelandownersduringtheinterim;and,itismorethanlikelythattheconditionsalongthestreamwillcontinueandworsenduringthattime.ThedraftproposedOrderonConsentdoesnotprovideforanyinterimrelieftothestream-sidelandownersontheLowerEsopusCreekduringthatinterimperiodtoaddress,amongotherthings,erosioncontrolandstreambankstabilization.Thus,thefinalOrderonConsentshouldincludeassistancetolandownersalongtheLowerEsopusCreekaslongasnecessary,andatleastaslongasthereleasesoccur.TheDEPandtheCityofNewYorkhaveanestablishedprogram,knownastheCatskillStreamBufferInitiative,toaddresssuchissuesforlandownersalongtheUpperEsopusCreek.ThisprogramprovidestechnicalandfinancialassistancetoUpperEsopusCreeklandownersthatincludesindividualstudiesoftheirproperties,streambankerosionmitigation,andotherassistance.ThefinalOrderonConsentshouldmakethisprogramavailabletolandownersalongtheLowerEsopusCreek.ExtendtheFiltrationAvoidanceDeterminationBenefitstoDownstreamCommunitiesalongtheLowerEsopusCreekTheFiltrationAvoidanceDetermination(hereinafterreferredtoasthe"FAD"),appliestocertainwatershedcommunitiesintheCatskillandDelawarewatershed.TheUpperEsopusCreekiswithinthewatershed.TheDEPprovidesfundingandbenefitsundertheFADtothosewatershedcommunities.ThesamefundingandbenefitsshouldbeextendedtotheLowerEsopusCreekandtheadjoiningcommunities.TheimpactsofwatersupplyoperationextendtotheLowerEsopusCreek;and,theresponsibility,asrequiredbytheFAD,toengageandworkwiththecommunity,shouldapply,aswell,totheLowerEsopusCreekcommunities.RecreationalUsesTheLowerEsopusishometoactiverecreationalusesthatincludefishing,boatingandpublicswimmingareassuchascommunitybeachesinMarbletownandSaugerties.ThedraftproposedOrderonConsentaddressesthedamagestothefisheryassociatedwiththereleasesinitsrequirementforfundingafishstockingprogramasanenvironmentalbenefit.AbsentfromthedraftproposedOrderonConsentisarequirementtoaddressthelossesanddamagesassociatedwithotherrecreationaluses.ThefinalOrderonConsentshouldincludefundingto3
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