Lake property owners oppose revised gas plan

FINGER LAKES--Under the name Seneca Lake Property Owners, 468 people recently signed a public letter that calls on the governor to protect the lake from Crestwood's revised gas storage plan.
Crestwood's project continues to be a bad idea for the shores of Seneca Lake, despite its recent concessions that do nothing to allay concerns, the letter says.
"As property owners and taxpayers around the lake, we strongly urge you to do everything in your power to deny all permits for gas storage to Crestwood," the letter says.
With Crestwood's new concessions, there is even less benefit to the region, the letter writers say. In Crestwood's new plan, temporary construction jobs decreased from 50 to about 30, permanent jobs went from eight to 10 to three to five, and property tax revenue was estimated at only $250,000, the letter says.
"Crestwood claims that their recently proposed changes to the project's above-ground infrastructure is 'community driven.' The fact is their plan to turn the Finger Lakes into a major hub for gas storage and transport has not changed; only their tactic has," the letter writers say.
The letter says that even with the revisions, the plan will do more harm to the region than good.
"We welcome the kind of sustainable, clean and tourism-compatible jobs that renewables create, not the handful of jobs Crestwood is promising; especially at the risk of threatening our water, health, safety, and thriving economy," the letter says.
Letter signers include fishermen, boaters, race car enthusiasts and corporate executives, according to a copy of the letter supplied by Gas Free Seneca co-founder Joseph Campbell. Among the property owners is Corning Inc. CEO Wendell Weeks.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission already approved Crestwood's plans to expand methane storage at its facility along State Route 14 in the town of Reading. The state Department of Environmental Conservation continues its environmental review process of plans to add storage of liquefied petroleum gas in the salt caverns.