Once again Eerie Agte's pen runs away with itself.
Here's the latest, posted today of her Facebook STCC page
Elizabeth R. Agte - 6 hrs May 19, 2022
It’s been a long five year slog, made hard over and over again by the intentional lack of transparency by NYPA. We, a grassroots effort, with no budget, has worked to protect the quality of life for our canal communities, and the historic value of our irreplaceable Erie Canal, and has for the last five years hobbled the largest state power authority in the country from having its way. The longer we keep them from doing what they intend to do, which is to unequivocally clear cut every living thing from the embankments of the Erie Canal, the more they are resolved to do exactly that. With cause or without.
Today they posted on Facebook that they were keeping water levels lower than usual as they rewatered the canal for its May 20th opening of the navigation season, as a result of “over two hundred known seeps”.
This is an intensional attempt to create public concern. There are always seeps along the canal, because it is an earthen embankment…and water seeps.
A perfect example is the tunnel under the canal in Medina. I have walked through it several times, and it “rains” in that tunnel, not seeps, but that does not cause them to close down the tunnel.
Their intention is to make us feel worried, and uncertain. The town of Perinton has allowed apartment developers to purchase property on the canal embankments just north of Ayrault Road on Jefferson Avenue. (They have promised not to cut down the trees along the canal.) We have sadly watched the destruction of the old farmhouse and feel concerned about what comes next.
But this new construction brings a certain clarity to the level of “danger” of this embankment. I am sure insurance adjusters wouldn’t ignore an imminent danger.
We have been waiting for the CC to drop their Generic Environmental Impact Statement, which was to happen by the end of March. Are they understaffed? Maybe they need some of us to apply? Or are they gaming us again? Hmm.
These people have not 'hobbled' the NYPA. Fact is, all they have done is placed an entire community at risk of flood for five years. As I live on the canal with a very good view of the embankment and trail, I can vouch that the canal authority is vigilant and monitoring all these 'seeps' two or three times a week. If anyone is 'at fault' here it is the NYDEC for suggesting the NYPA did not need to carry out an SEQR review in the first place. That State Environmental Review has now been completed and the answer is simple. The trees growing on canal earthen embankment dams have to go!
The canal embankments were built when the understanding of the engineering and design knowledge was almost non existent. Since then, numerous authorities ASDSO USACE NYDEC FEMA have certain design criteria for earthen embankment dams, and ours simply do not measure up.
Agte mentions 'seeps' as being normal, however, in this situation we have a 'phreatic line' problem because of the steep badly designed slopes. If that seep starts to show certain characteristics it could easily develop to a collapse of the embankment.
Our dams are DANGEROUS and need to be brought up to code.
Much of the vegetation on the canal is invasive, even illegal (controlled as per NYDEC)
Cottonwoods are at end of life, falling down all over the place, dropping branches on the trail.
What is the Town Of Perinton doing allowing further construction on a Dam Hazard Zone? Are they nuts?
The actual embankment was never constructed correctly, soils weren't compacted, slope angles are too steep, toe drains not installed, the list of faults goes on.
The Thuway Authority (previous 'owners') were negligent in their duties and left the entire system fall into disrepair, including allowing vegetation to grow uncontrolled on an earthen embankment dam.
Nowhere in this group do you see any dam engineers, or anyone with ANY qualifications regarding how to run a canal system or do it's maintenance. The only thing they run off it seems is their mouth!
At the same time, their ears have a certain deafness - to all the experts telling them NO TREES ON A DAM!
Ignorance, stupidity - putting people's lives at risk! THAT is Ms Agte and her little gang.