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In a unanimous vote, the Town of Skaneateles became the 23rd municipality to take a stand against gas storage in the Finger Lakes.  The Town Board formally passed a resolution opposing gas storage Thursday night, requesting that the state Department of Environmental Conservation deny Crestwood Midstream Partners, LP's permit to store the gas along the Seneca Lake shore and in salt caverns under it.  Skaneateles joins the Cities of Rochester, Syracuse, Geneva; the Villages of Watkins Glen and Waterloo; the Counties of Seneca, Ontario, Yates, Cayuga, and Tompkins; and the Towns of Seneca Falls, Brighton, Fayette, Ithaca, Geneva, Ovid, Romulus, Rush, Starkey, Ulysses, Varick, and Waterloo in expressing opposition to Texas-based Crestwood Midstream's proposal.

According to the Auburn Pub ("Environmental Disaster: Skaneateles Town Board opposes Seneca Lake gas storage plan" 04/17/2015), Councilor Connie Brace, who took the lead in researching the issue for the board, noted that "a large number of communities in the Finger Lakes region and the city of Syracuse" oppose Crestwood's plan and stand united with their neighbors.  

"It seems the most obvious thing to come against something that allows them to do this," Brace said. "It's a great opportunity for the region to band together in support of the same goals."

Councilor Claire Howard said a previous town board administration spent "a lot of time and a lot of effort" to ban hydraulic fracturing in town boundaries, and this plan would involve storing gas produced from the drilling of natural gas.

"I see this (resolution) as a corollary to that (effort)," Howard said. "I would recommend we do it as soon as possible. Time is of the essence." She added, "It's contrary to everything we believe in in this Finger Lakes region. It could potentially be an environmental disaster to so much that we're about economically and other aspects."

In addition to municipalities opposing Crestwood, a growing number of local and regional businesses oppose the project.  325 businesses have joined together to defend their sustainable livelihoods by joining Gas Free Seneca's Business Coalition.

"The ultimate decision on these projects lies in the hands of our Governor. It begs the question: Governor Cuomo, who will you listen to, the elected officials, residents and businesses within the Finger Lakes, or a Texas Corporation?" said Yvonne Taylor, Co-Founder of Gas Free Seneca.

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