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#Post#: 817--------------------------------------------------
NYS Canal Corporation MUST clear Canal Embankments - Reason 1
DIR By: Doug K
Date: October 11, 2019, 7:50 am
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Many people have asked the question... "Why does the Canal
Corporation have to clear the embankments?"
Here's the "short answer", it's the LAW.
If you are not aware of it, our NY State Senate has enacted Laws
regarding the OWNERS's responsibility for Impounding Water
Structures
[attachimg=1]
That statement & law forces the NY Canal Corp, and it's parent,
the New York Power Authority, (as Dam Owners) to insure that the
Erie Canal and all it's appurtenant structures is kept safe for
residents & neighbors... end of story. It's not up for debate,
it's just the law.
Some around the Rochester area have been stating that this law
doesn't apply to the Erie Canal. They state these embankments
are NOT dams, or they say these embankment dams are NOT "unsafe"
as the Canal Corporation has stated. These statements are
contrary to what the OWNERS of the Dams have said... and are of
NO VALUE to anyone...sadly they are mistaken and blind to a
danger right in our own backyards.
This Erie Canal work has been in the plan since 2013 when the NY
State Comptroller's Office recognized it as unsafe and stated
that in a report published in 2014. You can find the NYS
Comptroller website here -
HTML https://www.osc.state.ny.us/
We at the ECNA have already shown these safety issues & repair
budget connections in a prior ECDNA Posts... they outline what
Tom Dinapoli, our "watchdog" for NY State, has uncovered. In
their infinite wisdom the State Comptroller also made sure the
work could actually get done by setting up a budget in 2016 for
the sum of $220 Million dollars for the repair, to be spent over
4 years from 2017-2021.
STATE REPORT on the Erie Canal's current state of Deterioration:
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/erie-canal-embankment-issues-are-not-a-new-problem-uncovered-2014-nys-report/msg511/#msg511
BUDGET ALLOWANCE for NYS Canal System Improvements:
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/general-discussion/where-does-the-money-come-from-for-canal-embankment-repair/msg385/#msg385
And again in 2018 the State Comptroller released a report on the
Issue of Unsafe Dams in New York State... this is a must read if
anyone wants to understand the issue of Dam Safety in our area.
I have captured the basics of the report in the pictures below.
HTML https://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/research/dam-infrastucture-2018.pdf#search=%20dam%20safety
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
If you notice the CONDITION levels for Dam Safety you will see
there are FOUR... with the term Unsafe Dams right at the top of
the list as the worst Dam Safety condition. That is the SAME
word used by the Canal Corporation when describing the condition
of their Canal Embankments... Unsafe Dams they also own & manage
for us. You see the Dam Owner has given Constructive Notice to
all in Rochester & NY State that signaled the safety issue....
Now they have NO CHOICE but to REPAIR these Unsafe Dams.
The NYS Dam Report goes on to describe what Owners of the Dams
are required to do but also lists what Local Officials, like our
Town & Village Leaders should be doing to help correct the issue
caused by unsafe dams in our communities. It also states how
Residents and Neighbors around these Dams can help remedy the
safety issues found with impounding water structures in their
communities.
[attachimg=4]
Sadly these suggestions made in the State Comptroller's report
for Local Officials & Residents were ignored. Especially east of
Rochester where many people actually engaged in behaviors that
were contrary to public safety, contrary to the published
reports, and contrary to all logic & reason. Some of those
people are actually Town Supervisor's & Leaders who were
entrusted with putting the Public First and insuring they
watched out for the safety of their Town Residents.
These Town Leaders & Residents actually fought AGAINST this
Public Safety Work with a Court Injunction!
Many of you are no doubt asking this question...WHY would anyone
would do something to fight against safety, to ignore the
warnings, to leave their neighbors, constituents, friends &
family living in danger from Unsafe Dams?
Weat the Erie Canal Neighbor's Association have been asking that
same question for two years now, and still cannot find an
answer.
If you live in an areas where Erie Canal Embankment safety work
was stopped, leaving you living with Unsafe Dams in your
Community or Neighborhood, perhaps you should visit your Town
Hall and ask why they chose to fight against this NYS Public
Safety Program.
Maybe you should ALSO rethink your membership in a Facebook
group calling themselves Stop the Canal Clear-Cut, one of the
most vocal advocates for denying Erie Canal Safety concerns and
keeping neighborhoods in DANGER living under Unsafe Canal
Embankments. This group, and it's Leadership has simply turned a
blind eye to their neighbor's safety, they changed the
discussion away from community safety, and left many of us
living below these embankments in danger, and unable to escape.
Think hard about the choices you make....
#Post#: 818--------------------------------------------------
NYS Canal Corporation MUST clear Canal Embankments - Reason 2
DIR By: Doug K
Date: October 11, 2019, 8:19 am
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Reason Two? What could that be, what else could be compelling
the NY Canal Corporation to clear these Embankments along the
Canal?
Another Short Answer - Danger Trees!
Yes... it's Trees, trees that are making the Embankment Dams
unsafe. It's not just roots that cause leaks, or the potential
of a blowdown that could topple a tree on the dam and pop a 10'
root ball HOLE in the side of the earthen bank... it's also the
fact that every tree overhanging the Dam Service & Inspection
Road, aka: The NYS Canal Trail, is a potential widow maker.
Falling Tree Limbs Kill People!
So what does NY State say about Trees, especially trees that
have been identified as Dangerous?
First we need to understand what a Danger Tree is...
[attachimg=1]
So this is also about the EMPLOYEES of the Canal Corporation who
have to work along the trail, inspect dams, and protect the
"patrons" of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor that use
the NYS Canal Trail
What does NY State say about Property Owners and their
responsibility to clear danger trees?
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Is this all becoming any more clear to you? It has to the ECNA.
The Canal Embankments are covered with Danger Trees. They are a
danger to the water impounding structure, a danger to canal
neighbors, and a danger to those walking along the top of the
Embankment Dam on what's become a walking & biking path that
doubles as a Dam Reconstruction Highway and Earthen Dam
Inspection Road. And all of these trees have to be cut back from
the trail or removed if they are growing on the side of an
earthen dam section.
There is no room for argument...it's required by the Laws within
the great State of New York.
It's ALSO required as part of OSHA to protect NYS Canal
Employees... they have danger in their work area from trees
above that must be removed.
It's also required if the Canal Corporation wants to continue to
ALLOW public pedestrian use of the Dam Service Road that runs
along the Crest of these Embankments for recreation use.
You see folks, it has NEVER been a question of "IF" the Canal
Corporation will clear ALL the trees off the NYS Trail & Canal
Dams, it's WHEN.
And when will that happen?
Well just as soon as the Canal Corporation can convince those
FIGHTING against Public Safety that there is NO other reasonable
choice for public safety with their SEQR Report.
And of course AFTER they ask members of the Stop the Canal
Clear-Cut Group to kindly unchain themselves from those danger
trees they have told people in Rochester that we "can't live
without".
Keeping Danger Trees in our communities is not an option, just
like keeping Unsafe Dams along the Erie Canal is NOT an option.
Not telling a grass-roots group, or Public Leaders they are
WRONG.. well that borders on "just being stupid".
Get used to it folks, this is what SAFE Embankments look like,
this is what a safe NYS Canal Trail looks like... this is what
the property owners are required to do to comply with the Laws
of New York State.
[attachimg=4]
#Post#: 837--------------------------------------------------
Re: NYS Canal Corporation MUST clear Canal Embankments - Reason
1
DIR By: Michael Caswell
Date: October 23, 2019, 4:39 pm
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This article points out quite a few things that should be
concerning to neighbors.
What really got my attention was the statement 'STRUCTURES
IMPOUNDING WATERS'. So many of those opposing the Canal
Authority's work to make safe the Erie Canal, have railed
against calling sections dams, have tried to call them 'Levees',
and have even come up with thinking they were a 'special case
deserving of a special name' as long as they weren't called
DAMS. You see, if they were called 'dams' then they would fall
under tons of legislation which required ALL vegetation to be
removed from the slopes. Of course, that would have stopped them
in their tracks.
According to this article, it doesn't seem to matter what you
call them, because they IMPOUND WATERS. That should therefore be
an end to it!
#Post#: 839--------------------------------------------------
Re: NYS Canal Corporation MUST clear Canal Embankments - Reason
2
DIR By: Doug K
Date: October 28, 2019, 7:42 am
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There are alternatives to Embankment Clearing, but most people
will not like the choices...
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/erie-canal-embankment-integrity-program-(eip)/alternatives-to-erie-canal-embankment-tree-clearing/
Time for Rochester residents to decide the fate of the Erie
Canal... keep it or let it fade into history?
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