By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Nearly 30 members of the Seneca Nation of Indians — including a half dozen members of the Tribal Council scolded Mayor Bill, Aiello and the Olean Common Council Tuesday over the city’s delay in eliminating sewage overflows into the Allegheny River.
Speakers also offered city officials help in applying for state and federal funds to fix the overflow problem caused when heavy rains add too much water to sanitary sewers which then back up at pump stations, causing a diversion of untreated sewage.
Aiello said he’d received a letter Monday from Seneca President J. Conrad Seneca asking to meet to discuss the problem of untreated sewage entering the river “in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration.” He said he plans to reply and schedule a meeting with the Seneca president soon.
Aiello also disclosed that he planned to ask the Common Council to provide $50,000 to fire a consultant to specifically study capacity management at the Adams Street, Martha Avenue and South Fourth Street pumping stations with the goal of eliminating sewage bypass into the river.
Council President John Crawford, D-Ward 5, said the decision was made to focus on the pump stations rather than the whole city. There is also concern that roof drains, sump pumps and other illegal connections to the sanitary sewer system, plus street catch basins that drain into the sewers are responsible for the overflows into the river.
Aiello and city officials have met recently with the state Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the sewage overflows. At the last meeting, DEC officials suggested the city contact the Environmental Finance Center in Syracuse to discuss financing projects to eliminate the problem.
The city has been under a DEC consent order to remedy the problem since 2003. In 2014, the city entered into another consent order on the overflows that extended into 2042.
Aiello noted that from February 2003 to 2013, the city invested $4.5 million in sewer improvements. During the same period, sewage overflows into the Allegheny River totaled 7.1 million gallons. The city invested $26.2 million in treatment plant upgrades from 2014 to 2024 when overflows totaling 1.4 million gallons were recorded.
Alderman David Anastaia, D-Ward 7, asked Aiello if the $50,000 he was recommending for a consultant would be enough.
“It will get us a start,” the mayor replied. It will also help the EPA-backed Environmental Finance Center to focus on grants and other ways to finance the city projects to stop untreated sewage outflows. Funding, he said, would come from the sewer contingency fund.
As the public comment part of the meeting was about to begin, Crawford suggested that because of the large number of people who wished to speak, the time limit be lowered from five minutes to three. That didn’t go over well with those waiting to speak and the council president quickly rescinded the change.
First to speak was Seneca Councillor Tina Abrams, who wore a Defend Ohi:yo’ T-shirt, told the Olean council thatb thye Seneca Tribal Council had approved a motion last Saturday calling on the city “to take immediate action to prevent further pollution” of the Allegheny River.
The city’s “failing infrastructure and general indifference” had allowed for the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into Mother Earth. She said the city’s $250,000 annual repair program of city sewers amounted to “a bandaid on a gaping wound. At the same time, the city has borrowed $5.3 million for discretionary projects including the ice rink, farmer’s market, Oak Hill Park and the splash park, she said.
“The Seneca Nation opposes any further delays by the city of Olean and urges it to obtain appropriate financing, whether through bonding issuances by the city and take steps to make immediate repairs and upgrades to the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems to stem from further pollution of our Ohi:yo’ River,” Abrams said.
A Salamanca man, Josh Becker, also a member of the Seneca council, said Olean’s waste can be seen in the river and “you can smell it” when he’s canoeing with his children. “You guys need to take action to get this fixed.”
Councillor Odei Porter said, “My job is to make sure my community is protected. What are you doing?” The city should be looking for money to fix the problem, she said, noting Rep.Nick Langworthy “wants to help.”
Tribal Councillor Klint Nephew said there have been 46 recorded discharges of untreated sewage into the river from Olean since 2007, resulting in “millions of gallons of dangerous and disgusting waste throughout the communities downstream from Olean, including the Seneca Nation’s Allegany Territory.”
Nephew said Seneca nation members regularly swim, fish and boat in the river. “The raw sewage contained in the untreated wastewater is unsanitary and can spread pathogens such as hepatitis, meningitis, gastritis and pink eye.”
In addition, he said, the untreated wastewater can also deplete oxygen levels, impacting water quality and damaging aquatic ecosystem. It is a threat to aquatic organisms and wildlife including mussels and the hellbender salamander.
Also speaking was Glenn Wahl of Little Valley and a member of Defend Ohi:yo’. He has addressed the council on the sewage overflow problem monthly for the past year, critical of its inaction. The quickest and cheap[est of its “fix” options is to find and remove illegal roof drains connected to the sanitary sewers. Inflow from broken pipes contributes to the problem as does undersized pumping stations and street catch basins hooked to the sewers.
Barry Gan, a longtime environmental activist, retired philosophy professor and local singer, urged the council to name a task force to address the problem and look for grants to accomplish the work.
Near the end of the more than hour-long public comment period, one woman told the common council: “The river is being damaged. I want all of you to work with us. We want our river back.”
Another Seneca woman concluded: “Please address this as soon as possible. We will be back.”
During the regular council meeting that followed the public comment session, alderman voted 5-1 to accept a $500,000 state Environmental Protection Fund toward the cost of renovating and enhancing Marcus Park.
The city’s cost of the roughly $2 million project is about $200,000 after another $700,000 state grant and a $600,000 contribution from InTandem for an inclusive playground.
Anastasia said he was voting no on the project because of the fiscal uncertainties with the federal government and cited the recent drop in the stock market as evidence of problems ahead.
IN OTHER ACTION, the council:
- Approved a contract with Cattaraugus County for mosquito spraying this summer if necessary.
- Contracted with the Cattaraugus County Land Bank for reimbursement of $25,000 for demolition of a property at 118 W. Greene St.
- Approved a resolution calling for sales tax revenue budget estimates be based on 90% of the previous year’s actual sales tax receipts.
- Approved a resolution stating infrastructure would not be reduced in the upcoming $25 million rebuilding of West State Street from North Union Street to St. Bonaventure.
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All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
