Gas Free Seneca group protests project

SENECA LAKE—A small group of protesters walked 80 miles around the perimeter of Seneca Lake to protest the proposed gas storage facility in Reading this past weekend.
Four core protesters were joined by at least 20 others in their weekend long, 80-mile walk around the entirety of Seneca Lake, starting in Watkins Glen Friday, Oct. 11 and ending where they began Monday, Oct. 14. Margie Rodgers said the group conducted a “prayer walk” to bring awareness to the importance of keeping Seneca Lake waters clean and shed light on the harm LPG storage facilities can cause.
“It was very wonderful,” Rodgers said. “In our very busy lives [...] we forget about how precious our water is.”
The group set out from Clute Park in Watkins Glen Friday, Oct. 11, traveling north along Route 14 to Geneva before turning south along Route 96A and Route 414, ending where they began Monday afternoon, Oct. 14. The group covered around 20 miles per day with breaks for lunch and dinner, as well as rest for the night.
Rodgers said the walk was led by Sharon Day of St. Paul, Minn., who has led prayer walks along the Mississippi River as well as from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Superior.
“I have written letters, protested and been arrested as part of civil disobedience,” Rodgers said of her attempts to protect Seneca Lake. “I’m at the point where all I can do is pray.”