Water is crucial to life, and to the rebirth of Eastman
Business Park.
The park has a self-contained, specialized utilities system
that depends on large quantities of water from Lake Ontario. RED-Rochester,
which owns the park’s utility system, has applied for a state permit to
withdraw up to 54 million gallons of lake water per day to keep those utilities
running.
Previously, the park’s utility system didn’t need a water
withdrawal permit. But in 2011, a law passed that broadly regulates and
restricts water withdrawals throughout New York. The purpose is to fulfill New
York’s commitment under a multi-state Great Lakes water conservation and
protection pact.
RED-Rochester’s application will be a test case of sorts. The
company is one of the first industrial users to apply for a water withdrawal
permit, and the application will set a precedent for future reviews and
approvals, says Larry Levine, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense
Council of New York.
Last Friday, a group of 18 state and local environmental and
advocacy groups submitted a letter to the State Department of Environmental
Conservation regarding RED-Rochester’s application. NRDC took the lead on
drafting the comments, though other signers include the state Sierra Club
chapter and the Rochester Raging Grannies.
The organizations do not object to RED-Rochester withdrawing
water from the lake, or to the amount of water the company wants. But they do
have some big picture concerns about whether the permit application and DEC
review process do enough to stress efficient water use.
“They’re not really scrutinizing the applications,” Levine
says.
The organizations say they’re worried that the DEC is
treating the withdrawal permits as a formality. In the letter, they say
RED-Rochester has laid out “a range of laudable water conservation measures.”
The DEC should, they say, make those efforts mandatory in the permit.
Those measures include identifying and addressing leaks,
reducing fire protection system leaks, and working to help customers use water
more efficiently, says RED-Rochester spokesperson Dave Lundy.
Applicants should also have to analyze alternative measures
for conservation, the letter says. In RED-Rochester’s case, it says, the
company could evaluate the feasibility of installing a more water-efficient
cooling system in the Eastman Business Park power plant.
DEC’s press office did not respond to questions in time for
this issue.
Local and state leaders say Eastman Business Park is critical
to the Rochester region’s economic growth. And they frequently say that the
park’s utilities system makes it attractive to industries. Lake Ontario water
is used in the park’s power plant; for high-pressure steam; and in the chilled,
purified, and industrial water systems.
The park’s economic importance isn’t lost on environmental
groups, Levine says, and they understand that the lake water is an important
resource. But a vigorous withdrawal permit program could help make sure the
resource isn’t strained, he says, which in turn would benefit the park by
ensuring a reliable water supply.
The organizations do not object to RED-Rochester withdrawing
water from the lake, or to the amount of water the company wants. But they do
have some big picture concerns about whether the permit application and DEC
review process do enough to stress efficient water use.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2014.
