Things are moving along in the campaign to persuade the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to allow the Duane Lake community to participate in the NY State Septic Replacement Program.
- NBT Bank has expressed a possible willingness to offer supplementary low-interest loans if Duane Lake is admitted into the program, copying a program offered by banks around Lake George.
- At long last Schenectady County applied on our behalf (a requirement) and the County is now formally enrolled as a “participating county.” But DEC still says NO to Duane Lake.
- Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara and State Senator Patricia Fahy are now scheduled to meet on our behalf with interim DEC Commissioner Sean Maher in the next few weeks.
- A reporter and photographer from the Albany Times Union will be here Friday morning, February 28, 11:00 a.m., 1399 West Duane Lake Road, to gather information for a story about the situation.
You can help!
You can help by completing this survey (if you haven’t already; about 30 people already have) so we can more accurately gauge any possible participation in the program. So far, eight Duane Lake homeowners have said they are very likely to participate and another three have said “chances are pretty good.” Five more said “maybe.”
Eight, eleven, or sixteen new septic systems could make a huge difference to Duane Lake water quality. Heck—three or four would be an improvement. (A dozen or more recent analyses of Duane Lake water have found caffeine, so we are very sure there is at least some septic effluent in the lake).
And—most pressing at this moment—you can help by turning out for the Times Union visit to be included in a group photo (showing a committed community) and, if you feel up to it, to answer any questions the reporter might ask.
Your participation in the survey or appearing in a photo does not commit you to participate in the Septic Replacement Program. It does, however, show your support for the program being available to Duane Lake homeowners.
A quick bit of background: The NY State Legislature passed a bill in 2018 that created a water-quality protection program that would reimburse homeowners in designated watersheds who repaired or replaced defective septic systems. Reimbursement would be 50%, up to a maximum reimbursement of $10,000 per system.
The DLA immediately inquired about applying, only to be told—for absurd, flat-out-wrong, and “curious” reasons—Duane Lake was ineligible. Since then, all these made-up reasons for denial have been thoroughly rebutted. Click here to read “The Case for Permitting Enrollment” for a fully detailed explanation.
A big part of the problem has been DEC’s refusal to respond to any further communication from the Duane Lake Association—completing “stonewalling” us for years. So we sought intervention by our elected State Representatives, and even they have been met with silence from DEC—until now.
If you can participate on Friday the 28th, please send an email right away to duanelakeassoc@gmail.com to confirm your participation. Once we hear from you, we’ll send you a link to a Zoom meeting set for this Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. to “get our ducks in a row” before the Times Union folks arrive.
It’s been a long struggle to get this far.
We hope you can support this effort to protect our lake. A strong showing on the 28th will be important!
Your Duane Lake Association Board of Directors
Pat Huff Norm Stewart Kathy Hotaling Chris Miller
Alan Knight Dirk Felton Kim Roberts Ian Colgan Tom McGrath
