Ana Maria Archila + Business Owners, Electeds, & Residents: Stop Dumping on the Finger Lakes!

GENEVA, NY (05/24/2022) (readMedia)-- This morning, Ana Maria Archila, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York, joined local business owners, elected officials, residents, and activists to urge Governor Hochul and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to protect the environment and economy of New York's top agritourism region. Governor Hochul and the DEC have stayed mostly silent and evaded decisions regarding climate-killing cryptomining and the Seneca Meadows Landfill, two environmental crises perpetuated by out-of-state companies with far-reaching consequences for the climate, natural resources, local businesses, and human health.

Watch the press conference here.

Ana María Archila, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said, "Governor Hochul and the DEC have the power to preserve the Finger Lakes and protect our communities from pollution and toxins, but they are prioritizing the wants of big corporations and billionaires over the needs of working people. New Yorkers across the state will not be able to lead healthy and safe lives until this dynamic changes. I stand with residents, local advocates and local business leaders in calling on Governor Hochul and the DEC to protect this community from further harm by denying Greenidge Generation's air permits, putting a moratorium on crypto mining, and closing Seneca Meadows in 2025."

"Everything that makes the Finger Lakes special is threatened by Governor Hochul and the DEC's failure to protect our climate, natural resources, and local economy," said Joseph Campbell, president of Seneca Lake Guardian. "Greenidge Generation is filling our air with CO2 emissions equivalent to 100,000 homes and heating up our lakes, all for a fake currency and 48 jobs that threaten our very real $3 billion, 60,000 job agritourism economy. And Seneca Meadows Landfill is leaking PFAS, a dangerous chemical, into our drinking water. The landfill's disgusting stench alone has made it difficult for local businesses to recruit. Governor Hochul must remember her responsibility to New Yorkers, not wealthy out-of-state corporations, and deny Greenidge Generation's permit renewal, put a moratorium on cryptomining, and close Seneca Meadows."

This event comes one day after Governor Hochul announced the grand opening of the $11.4 million Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center, building on the millions New York State has already put toward boosting tourism and economic development in the Finger Lakes. In her announcement, she touted the Finger Lakes' natural beauty, low energy costs, and quality of life thanks to the region's vibrant downtown, lakes, and wineries - all of which are threatened by Greenidge Generation's climate-killing cryptomining and Seneca Meadows Landfill's toxic pollution.

"This proposed landfill expansion by Seneca Meadows is an environmental disaster. Pair that with the efforts of Greenridge and we have an environmental assault on the Finger Lakes," said Rich Swinehart, CEO Waterloo Container Company.

"At the macro level, climate change is already impacting the wine industry where it matters most, in the vineyards. The last thing we need is another industry dumping massive amounts of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. At the micro level, Greenidge's operations will impact the future of our lake's ecology. The warmer water is already impacting our fisheries, water quality, and recreational opportunities. A healthy lake is vital to maintaining the agri-tourism industry that employs thousands of people across a web of partners, including restaurants, hotels, shops, tour operators, tank fabricators, wine bottle vendors, realtors, and more. We simply cannot put our industry at risk for a climate busting, risky, and volatile industry like Bitcoin mining," said Vinny Aliperti, co-owner of Billsboro Winery.

"Two out of State corporations - Waste Connections from Texas and Greenidge Generation - are perpetrating legal crimes against the people of the Finger Lakes and NYS. SMI funneled over $250K for campaign costs for candidates who supported landfill expansion after 2025. They call themselves Responsible Solutions for NYS. Their name is a lie and a bribe for local politicians. The Bitcoin operation at Dresden has bribed local and County governments with contributions to community organizations to secure the required permits for expansion. Whether the expansion of the SMI landfill or the Bitcoin plant, neither can be permitted because under the NYS Climate and Community Protection Act and the recent amendment to the NYS Constitution. This expansion at SMI is an existential threat to the primacy of the people as embodied in NY State government and its laws and cannot be allowed. Gov. Kathy Hochul needs to stand with the people against domestic oligarchs and corporate bullies," said Ken Camera, Geneva City Council Member.

"If the state is going to pour millions into tourism in the Finger Lakes with one hand, it can't hurt everything that makes the Finger Lakes special with the other. Governor Hochul, stop delaying! Deny Greenidge Generation's air permits and close Seneca Meadows. My concerned neighbors are counting on you," said Abi Buddington, secretary of Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes.

Located on the shores of Seneca Lake, Greenidge operates over 17,000 Bitcoin mining machines and is expanding to over 32,500, with visible smokestacks pumping dirty fossil fuels into the air 24/7. This will lead to over 1 million tons of CO2 emissions each year, equal to that of 100,000 homes. Greenidge also sucks up to 139 million gallons of water each day from Seneca Lake and dumps it back in at up to 108 degrees. Gregory Boyer, director of SUNY's Great Lakes Research Consortium, has warned about Greenidge's potential to cause harmful algal blooms, which can be dangerous or fatal to humans and other animals in Seneca Lake, and make this water source for 100,000 people non-potable.

Greenidge's air permits are up for renewal by Governor Hochul and the DEC, who have given themselves five additional months to make a decision. The new deadline is June 30, two days after the gubernatorial primary. The DEC has consistently cited the need to sift through 4,000 public comments as part of the reason for this delay, but researchers from Cornell University FOILed for the comments, and found that 98% of the comments are opposed to Greenidge. In addition, more than 1,000 local businesses, organizations, wineries, labor unions, and more have taken action against Greenidge because of the threats its air, water, and noise pollution pose to the local $3 billion agritourism economy.

Greenidge Generation is the test case for cryptomining in New York. Advocates warn that a renewal of its air permits would signal to more outside speculators that New York's fossil fuel power plants, closed as we work toward meeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals, are available to be bought up and re-opened as gas guzzling Bitcoin mining threats to local businesses and cancers on communities. In addition to calling for Greenidge's permits to be denied, electeds, local businesses, residents, and advocates are calling on Governor Hochul to support a cryptomining moratorium.

Similarly, Seneca Meadows Landfill is an environmental threat perpetuated by a wealthy out-of-state corporation, with destructive consequences for the local environment and businesses.

Located in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of American Women's Rights, Texas-based Waste Connections operates New York State's largest landfill, full of 36% of the garbage generated in New York City plus more from four other states. It is permitted to accept 6,000 tons of waste and produce up to 100,000 gallons of toxic leachate per day. The smell reaches miles away. It's too big for methane collection and controls, making it a contributor to climate change.

Seneca Meadows was slated to close in 2025, but in 2021, Waste Connections spent hundreds of thousands in a local election where the average candidate campaigns with $1,000, buying seats on local Town Board and County races. Now, they've proposed the Valley Infill expansion, which would take this mountain of garbage seven stories higher.

Even with the planned closure in 2025, the mountain of garbage promises years of problem and remediation that could take generations to mitigate. Electeds, local business owners, residents, and advocates are calling on Governor Hochul and DEC to keep the planned closure in 2025 and deny the Valley Infill expansion.

Leachate and wastewater runoff from the landfill containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can cause widespread contamination of drinking water and harmful health impacts, cannot be remediated. Seneca Meadows produces 75 million gallons of leachate each year and distributes it not just to Seneca Falls but also to Buffalo, Watertown, Chittenango, and Steuben County, contaminating drinking water across the state.

SMI is located two miles from Seneca River and three miles from every school in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, exposing students to airborne particulates and unseen gases known to contribute to respiratory illness, asthma, and migraine headaches. Large, sustainable employers in the area are finding it difficult to recruit and retain employees, because nobody wants to raise a family near a dangerous landfill.

Background

Seneca Meadows Inc. Landfill

SMI is harming the Finger Lakes' natural resources that have led to the region being under consideration for a National Heritage Area Designation, and which the $3 billion, 60,000-employee wine and agritourism economy rely on. The odor from the landfill can be smelled from miles away, including at Thruway exit 41, the northern gateway to the Finger Lakes.

SMI's expansion is also at odds with the overwhelmingly popular amendment to the New York state constitution passed last year, which guarantees every New Yorker the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthful environment.

Greenidge Generation and Cryptomining

Proof-of-work cryptocurrency is an extremely energy-intensive process that requires thousands of machines whirring 24/7 to solve complex equations. The more machines that are running, the faster a coin is mined. Each one of these machines requires energy to run, plus more energy to run cooling technology. Globally, proof-of-work Bitcoin mining uses the same amount of energy each day as the entire country of Argentina. It produces 30,700 metric tons of e-waste each year, comparable to the yearly IT equipment waste of the Netherlands.

More than 1,000 organizations, businesses, environmental activists, concerned residents, wine makers, elected officials, and more have taken action over the last year in opposition to Greenidge and crypto mining in New York State. A letter sent to Governor Hochul in October was signed by more than 650 individuals and groups. In letters to Governor Cuomo last year opposing Greenidge Generation's expansion from an emergency peaker plant to a 24/7 Bitcoin mining operation, organizations, businesses, and Finger Lakes residents demanded Gov. Cuomo revoke Greenidge's grandfathered-in permits. And recently, several groups sent an open letter to Senators Gillibrand and Schumer urging them to visit the Finger Lakes and meet the residents and business owners whose livelihoods are suffering the environmental and economic consequences of Greenidge.

The DEC has already confirmed that Greenidge is a threat to New York's energy goals as outlined in the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. In a recent story, "DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos told WSKG that he continues to have "significant concerns" whether Greenidge Generation's operations will be compliant with the state's statutory climate goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA." Seggos later said, "Our belief still stands that this is a facility that's going to have an uphill battle complying with the law."

Because of Greenidge and other fossil fuel burning cryptomining plants, advocates are calling for a moratorium on cryptomining. Legislation (A7389B/S6486C) to place a 2 year moratorium on proof-of-work cryptomining in New York State passed the Assembly, and it's now up to the Senate to pass it. Opposition to the proposed moratorium has relied on misrepresentations of the bill from far right groups such as the Koch Brothers-funded Club for Growth.

Advocates are also calling on Governor Hochul to put a moratorium on cryptomining. The Governor is well within her legal authority to act, according to a new white paper from Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law: A Pause on Proof-Of-Work: The New York State Executive Branch's Authority to Enact a Moratorium on the Permitting of Consolidated Proof of Work Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities. The paper (summary of findings available here) draws on precedent established in 2010 when the executive branch signed the fracking moratorium. It finds the Governor has authority to stop new proof-of-work cryptomining operations by enacting a moratorium on the permitting of these facilities until a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) to determine the full extent of the impacts of mining on communities is complete.

Cryptomining is at odds with the overwhelmingly popular amendment to the New York state constitution passed last year, which guarantees every New Yorker the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthful environment. Revitalizing old polluting power plants for private financial gain, with drastic consequences for our air, water and climate, all while causing huge amounts of noise pollution, is now unconstitutional - and ought to be treated as such.

Reform groups Common Cause/NY and NYPIRG have specifically criticized the crypto mining industry for exploiting public resources and straining the energy grid for private gain, and a group of federal lawmakers led by Senator Elizabeth Warren requested details from six major Bitcoin mining companies about their electricity usage and contributions to climate change. The NY League of Conservation voters sent a letter to Governor Hochul urging her to pause and regulate cryptomining, and 1199 SEIU recently announced their endorsement of a cryptomining moratorium. Earlier this year, President Biden issued an executive order requiring federal agencies study the legal, economic, and environmental impacts of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin mining. Even the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, an avid crypto booster has come out against mining, declaring at a February 9th joint session of the Legislature: "I support cryptocurrency, not crypto mining."

About Seneca Lake Guardian

Seneca Lake Guardian is a New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation with 501(c)(3) and is dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of the Finger Lakes, its residents and visitors, its rural community character, and its agricultural and tourist related businesses through public education, citizen participation, engagement with decision makers, and networking with like-minded organizations.