By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
In a letter this week to the editor of the Olean Star, the environmental group Defend Ohi:yo’ endorsed Amy Sherburne for mayor of Olean.
Sherburne, an Olean businesswoman and an enrolled Republican, is running on the Republican and Democrat lines.
She is challenging three-term Mayor Bill Aiello, who lost to Sherburne in the Republican primary in June and is on the ballot on the independent Lincoln Party line.
Ohi:yo’ was founded in 2017 to fight plans to build a wastewater treatment plant for fracking waste in Coudersport, Pa. The group has demonstrated against the city’s failure to stop the overflows into the river during heavy rains. The last overflow was in June 2024, and the city is moving ahead to resolve the problem with help from New York state and the Seneca Nation.
The Seneca Nation also opposed the facility, which would have discharged into the Allegheny River, which flows through Seneca territory. Seneca leaders joined Olean officials in a task force named by Aiello to come up with a means to end the sewage overflows in heavy rains.
The letter to the editor from Defend Ohi:yo’ follows:
“Defend Ohi:yo’ is generally apolitical, has not endorsed candidates before and likely won’t endorse more in the future. But in September, we took a vote whether to endorse Amy Sherburne for Mayor of Olean and our members overwhelmingly approved the endorsement.
“It is our belief that Amy will be a much better mayor for the river, and she not only has come to most of our meetings to listen to our concerns, but has also attended Olean Common Council meetings where this issue has often been discussed.
“Her commitment to prevent pollution by upgrading Olean’s sewer and storm water systems is evident, and so, this endorsement is one action we can take to help the river stay free of sewage.
“Please help protect the Allegheny River by voting for Amy Sherburne for Olean.”
