Published: June 11, 2008 12:56 am      

LAKE LEVELS: Shoreline property owners vent to IJC

NEWFANE — International Joint Commission leaders from Canada and the United States on the got an earful from a packed crowd at the Olcott Firehall on Tuesday.

Shoreline residents, who are concerned about their eroding property on Lake Ontario, wondered if their words would sink in.

“It’s the same as it always has been,” said Mary Lou Fisher of Somerset, who got emotional when she spoke. “They listen to us. They smile at us. They send us home, and we lose our walls and our land and our property.”

Gary Halbach of Somerset was not swayed at proceedings that last two hours. “I got the same conclusion that I came with,” he said. “They’re going to ram this through no matter what, regardless of the homeowners.

“I saw it happen with the coal power plant in Somerset. Nobody wanted that, and they rammed it through. Plan B is already a done deal. They put it under the disguise as being environmental. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about the power that Canada is taking.”

Irene B. Brooks, chairman of the U.S. Section, and Herb Gray, the chair of the Canadian Section, made assurances that a decision has not been made on the a plan.

“I find the public very wise, and we put a lot of weight behind what the public comment is,” she said. “We take it all to heart and listen very carefully.”

There are still eight more citizen sites to be visited through July 11.

Gray noted how complicated the issue gets. There are not only interests on Lake Ontario, but down the St. Lawrence River to Montreal and to the Atlantic Ocean.

“We have a mandate from the two national governments,” Gray said. “It’s our duty to consider seriously and impartially. What’s presented to us taken into account all the various interests involved ... We have to look at all the interests. It can be controversial.”

Plan B-plus, favored by environmentalists, came under fire from south shore property owners. Plan 2007 got more support, but several speakers were upset that they did not have a chance to study the 146-page final report and the 262-page annexes.

Many speakers, who were each given five minutes to speak, blasted the state Department of Environmental Conservation as being an enemy of the lake shore residents.

Letters from Assemblywoman Francine Delmonte, D-Niagara Falls, and state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, concurred with the criticism of the DEC.

“It stuns me that a $20 million study yielded inconclusive results regarding Plan B-plus success in protecting wetlands,” Delmonte stated. “The IJC should pursue alternative Plan 2007...”

David Klein of the Nature Conservancy was one of the few speakers who supported Plan B-plus, and he was not warmly received. He argued to “work with the natural cycles of Lake Ontario. Bring back the natural cycles ... The shoreline will repair themselves.”

He was briefly interrupted and told to “put a gag in it,” when his five minutes were up.

Many speakers told of serious erosion of their lake shore properties and complained of paying taxes on land that is now under water.

Supervisor Tim Horanburg told of sandbagging in 1973. “I see those days coming again,” he said. “Getting a permit (from DEC) is nearly impossible.”

Fisherman told of the threat to charter service in Wilson. The owner of the Wilson Boat House told of the flooding in his banquet room.

A woman said, “Let my water go.” That is, let the St. Lawrence River water flow instead of backing it up at the dam.

Environmentalists urged respect for all life on the lake and to restore wetland diversity, and claimed a 2,000 signers of a petition for Plan B-plus.

Tony McKenna, who has represented the area during the five years of the study, feels that Plan B-plus does not treat all equally. Plan 2007 would be an improvement. He criticized the environmental data and warned against using questionable science to support Plan B. McKenna said the DEC is adversarial.

A Wilson man who grew up on the lake said he once had 35 feet of beach. Now he has 3 feet of water on the breakwall.

There was some cynicism regarding the IJC. “When you walk away, who will protect us,” Kathy O’Keefe of Wilson said.

Town Attorney James Sansone noted the importance of tourism at Olcott Beach and asked the IJC to consider the economic impact.

“We are trusting you to make the proper decision,” he said. “It will affect many people.”

The first IJC forum was in near Niagara Falls, Ontario. The next is in Rochester.

There is a question of how much can be controlled. “Experts agree there’s only so much you can do to control mother nature,” Gray said. “The water going through the dams can help moderate the highs and overcome lows.”