Why this petition matters

The residents and businesses of the Finger Lakes deserve access to safe and clean water. According to the NYSDEC, Cayuga Lake, the longest and widest of the Finger Lakes, provides drinking water for at least 100,000 people and serves as an economic driver for numerous recreational activities for locals and tourists alike. At a time when climate change is impacting all our lives and threatening freshwater supplies worldwide, Cayuga Lake is a vital natural resource that must be protected.

Today, however, the future of Cayuga Lake is seriously threatened. Cargill, a multinational and private conglomerate that has been designated as “the worst company in the world” as reported by the New York Times, is known for everything from environmental degradation to unfair child labor practices, union busting and worker safety. Cargill is now exploring selling its rights to the land around and under Cayuga Lake to the highest bidder — with no regulatory oversight and no regard for the community that depends on Cayuga Lake.

Following decades of salt mining at Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, salinity levels are much higher in these lakes than the rest of the Finger Lakes – posing threats to human health and the aquatic ecosystem. Even more serious is the
risk that a mine collapse could lead to a permanently more saline lake as has happened at Lake Peigneur in Louisiana. There has never been an environmental impact study which would reveal the on-going dangers posed to the safety of the lake and surrounding communities from not closing Cayuga Salt Mine.

Cargill is the country’s largest privately-held company, therefore it is not required to release information that is required of publicly-traded companies. In addition, Cargill has trade secret status in New York State, meaning Cargill has never reported the profits it earns from the mine, how salt mining is affecting the health of Cayuga Lake or the risks that further salt mining poses to the lake.

Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation must require a full, independent environmental review of the mine, and for Cargill or a future buyer to post a $10B environmental
bond with New York State to ensure adequate funding to mitigate the many unknown environmental risks. We must stop this secret sale.

Until now, the only environmental reviews of the mine have been conducted by firms affiliated with and paid for by Cargill. An independent review will shed critical light on the on-going risks of mine collapse, lake salinization, and other damage to the surrounding land. Should the review recommend the mine be permanently closed, NYS must heed that recommendation and require an environmentally sound end-of-life plan. Cargill has experience with this – the company closed its Avery Island Salt Mine in Louisiana in 2022 after two workers tragically died in a mine ceiling collapse.

While this public environmental review should have happened years ago, it is not too late to prevent further damage.

The Finger Lakes have a $3 billion, 60,000 employee agritourism economy that depends on the health of the Finger Lakes. This industry, the spirit of the region, is at risk. Governor Hochul has the opportunity to step in now and protect the Finger Lakes from Cargill abdicating its responsibility and skipping town.

We urge all residents and businesses of the Finger Lakes – as well as those throughout New York and the country who have visited this treasured region and care about protecting our waterways – to join us in calling on Governor Hochul and New York State to take this vital step while they still can.