Angelica, NY – March 22nd is known globally as World Water
Day, established by the United Nations in 1993 to highlight the importance of
freshwater by advocating for sustainable management of freshwater
resources.
To raise awareness of this observance, Concerned Citizens of
Allegany County (CCAC) is involved in the following activities:
First, to help young people focus on the importance of
clean, abundant, fresh water and to think critically and creatively about the
world's most important resource, CCAC sponsored an essay contest “A Day Without
Water.” More than 50 Allegany County
students in grades 5 through 12 wrote essays answering the question, “What
would a day without water be like?”
Winners will be announced on March 22nd and two $50 prizes awarded.
Second, CCAC is educating others about the Environmental
Protection Agency’s proposed new definition of “Waters of the United States” or
WOTUS. The sheer extent of waterways
affected by the proposed rule change -- 18 percent of streams and 51 percent of
wetlands nationwide (according to EPA data) -- is substantial. If the new definition is adopted, it could
mean that more than 100 waterway miles in Allegany County that currently feed
our clean drinking water supply would lose protection under the Clean Water
Act.
Third, CCAC continues to fight the proposed Northern Access
pipeline, a 97-mile high-pressure pipeline that would cross 180 streams, 270
wetlands and 7 ponds in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Erie counties, carrying
highly-pressurized fracked gas from PA to Canada for export. Citing significant
negative impacts on several streams and wetlands, and failure to meet state
water quality standards for those waterbodies, NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation denied National Fuel Gas (NFG) the required water quality permits.
However, NFG appealed so we continue to fight.
CCAC hopes that these examples will inspire others to learn
more and take action.
For WOTUS: Visit www.ccallegany.org
for background on the WOTUS rule change and find links for further
reading. The public comment period is
open until April 15th to make your voice heard.
Go to www.regulations.gov, under “What’s Trending” click on “Revised
Definition of Waters of the United States” or search docket
EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149, look for “Comment Now” button.
For Northern Access:
CCAC has joined a coalition of landowners and environmental
organizations fighting this pipeline. Visit www.niagarasierraclub.com or email
contactusccac@gmail.com to learn more about this project and how you can become
involved.
CCAC is a 501c3 environmental advocacy group that meets
monthly in Angelica. Our next meeting is Sunday, March 24th and we welcome the
public to join us. Learn more at
ccallegany.org or follow us on Facebook.
Email contactusccac@gmail.com or
call/text 585-466-4474.
FIVE SIMPLE
WATER-WAYS for your Home
Buy concentrated cleaning products.
They contain less water and require smaller packages, which
means less energy to produce and transport and less plastic waste to
recycle.
Install a faucet aerator.
Each sink aerator can save up to 500 gallons a year! A
low-flow showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons of water per minute (GPM) as opposed
to 6 GPM from old showerheads. That means you can save 35 gallons of water during
a 10-minute shower, which saves your furnace from heating more water, too.
Boycott bottled water.
The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates it takes
three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water.
Mulch your garden.
Not only does mulching reduce weeds, but it helps keep the
soil moist, so less watering is required.
Calculate your Water Footprint.
Visit www.watercalculator.org to estimate total water use.
Do you know how much water goes into your sandwich? Your gadgets? The electricity
that powers them? Offers conservation tips, too.
