WCDO Radio News

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $250 million to help communities afford water and sewer infrastructure improvements. The Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved financing and State and federal grants for a number of local governments to access for crucial upgrades. Locally, Funding was approved for the Village of Bainbridge, they will receive $7.5 million in State grants and low-cost financing for the replacement of approximately 13,000 linear feet of water main and waterlines plus the replacement of Well No. 1 and backup power installation for Wells 1 and 3. The Town of Hancock, will receive $3 million in federal grant and interest-free financing for the creation of the Fishs Eddy Water System.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 year old Christina LoRusso of Hamden following an investigation of a 1 car accident on February 19th. Deputies were dispatched to State Route 10 near the County Solid Waste Management Facility in the Town of Walton. Lorusso drove off the roadway and over an embankment, crashing into the State DOT perimeter fencing, causing her vehicle to become stuck, she was charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Moving from Lane Unsafely. Lorusso was released on summonses, directing her to appear in the Town of Walton Court at a later date, to answer the charges. Additionally, on the morning of February 20th, Deputies were notified of additional damage at the Solid Waste Facility front gate from Lorusso’s vehicle, she was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-11-25

The Delaware County Board of Supervisors approved of a plan to safeguard an original County landfill cell, County Solid Waste Manager Tyson Robb Explains:

(Tyson Robb 6-11-25)

Robb said that the project has been slowed down somewhat with all of the rain in the County since the start of the project.

The Afton Central School District closed at 11:30 this morning & all after school activities are canceled. The water in Afton was discolored or dirty, the Village of Afton Public Works Department told WCDO News that there was no water main break, but road crews using jack hammers adversely affected the quality of the water earlier today, it should clear up and there is NO order to boil water in effect.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-11-25

Delaware County Public Health, the New York National Guard and State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, is hosting a Citizen Preparedness Training Event today in Walton, DCPH Spokesperson Isabella Ziolkowski comments:

(Isabella Ziolkowski 6-11-25)

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to attend, call Delaware County Public Health at 607-832-5200. The event will be held from 6:00PM – 7:30PM at the New Hope Community Church, 45 Stockton Avenue, Walton.

The Annual Polar Bear Jump at Goodyear Lake in the town of Milford raised over $180,000 on Saturday, organizer Brenda Waters comments:

(Brenda Waters 2-27-25)

Water said that Money raised will assist the families of 10 area children suffering from a variety of medical issues, more information is available by at pbjump.com or by going to the Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump Facebook Page.

THE OTSEGO COUNTY PLANNING & SOLID WASTE Department announced that the all of the Otsego Express Routes will be closed today.

The State DEC updated drought conditions across the state, returning all 62 New York counties to “Normal” status, after assessing recent precipitation and elevated levels of ground and surface water. While statewide conditions have improved, localized dry conditions may persist, New Yorkers are urged to continue reducing unnecessary water use and waste, by fixing leaks, and choosing efficient water fixtures.

There is still time in the month of May to drop off metal to Waste Recovery Enterprises in Sidney, which in turns helps out the Delaware Valley Humane Society, according to Director Erin Insinga:

(Erin Insinga 5-15-24)

The fundraiser runs through May 31st, over the past few years it has raised about $8,000 for the Humane Society.

The Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross will be hosting its 15th Annual Real Heroes event this morning at the Binghamton DoubleTree Hotel at 8:30 AM. Participating sponsors and donors will be handing out awards to recipient “heroes”, ranging from a 9-year-old who safely evacuated other members of her family during a rapidly progressing home fire, to a high school student and school resource officer who saved the student’s mom when she showed signs of a stroke, to a Firefighter who, while on his way to his own retirement party, coordinated the rescue of occupants of a car submerged in water, Awards will be presented in 12 categories.

Attorney General Letitia James and DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced a settlement with FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America, Inc. in Delhi over numerous violations of state and federal environmental laws. The Delhi manufacturing facility was emitting dangerous air and water pollution into the surrounding community, putting public health at risk. The agreement with Federal & State Agencies requires Friesland to come into full compliance with environmental protection laws and pay a penalty of $2.88 million. New York will receive $1.44 million to fund projects that benefit public health and the environment in the Delhi area.

The State Comptroller's Office reported that local government sales tax collections in New York state totaled $5.7 billion in the 2nd quarter of 2023, an increase of 3%, compared to the same period last year. 2nd quarter growth was lower that the 1st quarter, due to a steep drop in gas prices, sales tax collections on motor fuels decreasing by -19% year over year.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-3-23

Delaware County Clean Sweep is coming up in September this year & online registration is already underway, according to Delaware County Solid Waste Coordinator Tyson Robb:

(Tyson Robb 8-4-23)

Robb said that Businesses, Municipalities & Farms will bring their materials on Friday September 22nd & The Household collections will be on Saturday September 23rd.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce Announced their annual award winners at their meeting Wednesday Morning, Dr. Rohan Jayasena was chosen as the winner of the "Citizen Of The Years" award, he told WCDO News of his reaction:

(Dr. Jayasena 4-6-23)

The Chamber also chose Waste Recovery Enterprises as the "Business of the Years" award winner, and Kyle Westcott, who formerly owned the Sidney Great American Food Store, was named as the winner of the Commitment to Community Award.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced over $70 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York State. The Village of Sidney received $565,312 short-term interest free financing and $887,469 in grants for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment facility upgrades.

The Otsego County Solid Waste Department and the Otsego County Conservation Association are teaming up once again to promote the Otsego County Schools Plastic Film Recycling Challenge. The challenge promotes recycling of film plastics and is open to all public and private k-12 school buildings located in Otsego County. The challenge kicks off on America Recycles Day, November 15, and runs through April 14, 2023.

Proposition 1: Clean Air/ Clean Water Act passed.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-9-22

State Police announced that the body of Frederick Mayock of Springfield Massachusetts was found in Canadarago Lake in Otsego County yesterday. Mayock was reported missing after he went kayaking October 22nd.

The Delaware Valley Humane Society Started their annual "Heavy Metal Haul Out" teaming up with Waste Recovery Enterprises, owner Sean LaRose told WCDO News what they are taking:

(Sean LaRose 9-6-22)

Delaware Valley Humane Society Director Erin Insinga told WCDO News that this fundraiser proved to be very successful last year:

(Erin Insinga 9-6-22)

Insinga said that the Items will be accepted at the collection bin at the Humane Society through the end of the month of September.

The Chenango County Weekly Wastewater Surveillance Data Report showed an increase in COVID 19 levels over the past 2 weeks, which changes the county's detection level to "HIGH". County Health Officials recommend that people should wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation, Get Tested if you have symptoms, more information is available by contacting the Chenango County Health Department at (607) 337-1660.

State Police were dispatched Saturday to assist Cherry Valley Fire with a hiker who had fallen from a waterfall down about 150-feet into a gorge. 1st responders hiked about a mile through a wooded area to locate the 32-year-old woman from Troy, she was pulled to safety and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where she was treated & released.

The Town of Guilford announced that a repair to the water tank will begin today for customers of the Mt. Upton Water District. The repairs are expected to take 1 week to complete, back up tanks are in place & no disruption of service is anticipated, but water conservation measures are encouraged., more information is available at 607-895-9966.

The state DEC is not doing enough to ensure rechargeable batteries are recycled as required by law, according to an audit by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Rechargeable batteries can contain toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel and silver, and lithium-ion, all of which can pose a threat to the environment and human health and safety if they are not properly recycled. If they’re just put in the garbage and enter the waste stream, they can end up in landfills and their chemicals can leak into public water systems, lakes and streams. Lithium-ion batteries can ignite or explode if they are damaged in the waste stream and were the cause of a six-alarm fire on a trash barge in December 2021.

Southern Tier 8 Regional Board is holding the first-ever Upstate Rural Broadband Conference that will bring national and state, and regional leaders together to identify ways to speed-up the deployment of high-speed networks in Central New York and the Southern Tier. The event will be held next Tuesday, from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM at the Doubletree Hotel, 225 Water Street, Binghamton.

The Village of Sidney will continue with their open house events, with another one to be held tomorrow morning, according to Sidney Mayor Andy Matviak:

(Andy Matviak 6-24-22)

The Water & Waste Water Treatment plant is located in Keith Clark Park, the open house runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Saturday.

Now that the Christmas holiday is over, people will start removing their trees, decorations and getting rid of the wrapping paper from their gifts, Tyson Robb of Delaware County Solid Waste Management explains:

(Tyson Robb 12-27-21)

More information is available at co.delaware.ny.us/departments.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $23 million in grants to help improve water quality across New York State while mitigating the effects of climate change. Locally, the Village of Sidney will receive $480,000 to install water meters equipped with advanced meter reading technology, the Village of Walton will get $30,000 to identify sources of inflow and infiltration, evaluate alternatives, and recommend improvements to the wastewater collection system.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar announced today an uptick in COVID 19 cases in the County over the last week. The Broome County Health Department had 105 new cases in Thursday, the total number of active cases is up to 780, up by 140 in the last week, the 7 day rolling average positivity rate was back up to 6%, and hospitalizations doubled in the last week back up to 92, the percentage of Broome county residents fully vaccinated was 59%.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 10-15-21

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State Environmental Facilities Corporation has approved more than $44 million for drinking water and wastewater projects, with grants, interest-free and low-cost financing. Drinking Water Projects will include the Village of Walton; Clean Water Projects will go to the City of Binghamton and Village of Johnson City.

The Village of Unadilla will be holding a residential clean-up day this Saturday & Sunday; there will be roll offs for perishables and non-perishables, tires, and mattresses. No hazardous waste will be accepted. The dumpsters will be placed behind the Unadilla House at 188 Main Street; more information is available at 369-3421.

Basset Healthcare Network’s Fox Care Center in Oneonta will re-open on Tomorrow, including FoxCare Fitness. A boil water advisory will remain in effect until at least Wednesday, Pharmacy patients are encouraged to call Bassett Healthcare Network’s Cooperstown clinic at 607-547-5127 for immediate medication assistance today. Updates are available at Bassett's Facebook page or bassett.org.

OTSEGO COUNTY'S ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAYS WILL BE THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY. IT ALLOWS OTSEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPOSE OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES FREE OF CHARGE. ALLOWABLE ITEMS INCLUDE ENAMEL PAINTS, PESTICIDES, ANTIFREEZE, BATTERIES AND MORE. OTSEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN DROP OFF HAZARDOUS WASTES FRIDAY FROM 8 TO 11 AM AT THE UNADILLA TOWN BARN AND SATURDAY AT THE MEADOWS OFFICE COMPLEX IN COOPERSTOWN...WHERE RESIDENTS ARE ASKED TO ARRIVE BY NAME...IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH A THRU H, ARRIVE FROM 8 TO 9:30AM...I THRU Q FROM 9:30 TO 11:30AM AND R THRU Z FROM 11:30AM TO 1PM. FOR QUESTIONS, CALL 5474225.

Johnson City Police have identified that person found dead in a pickup truck Friday as 27 year old Omar Terry of Johnson City.  Terry was found in a wrecked vehicle near Exit 70 of State Route 17, he had both gunshot & stab wounds, 25 year old Brandon Rose of Endicott has been charged with the murder.

The Otsego County Planning & Solid Waste Department announces the cancellation of this year’s Household Hazardous Waste Day Collection Event.  The event is anticipated to return in the fall of 2021.  Individuals with questions can call the department at 547-4225.

Village of Sidney crews will be closing Delaware Avenue from Union Street to Pearl Street West to install a new water main.  The work will begin Wednesday at 7:00 AM & they are aiming to complete the project late Friday afternoon, local residents will have access to their homes during the project.

The
Otsego County Planning & Solid Waste Department and the Otsego County
Conservation Association announced the 2020 plastic film recycling
challenge.   Schools in Otsego County are
competing to see who can collect the most plastic film for recycling through
April 15th; the winners will be announced at OCCA’s Earth Festival on April
18th.  10 schools are currently signed up,
more information or to sign up, call 547-4256.

The
City of Oneonta crews will repair a water main break on Orchard Street today
near the dead end.  Part of Orchard will
be closed along with sections of streets near the work area; the roads will be
open only for local traffic. The work is to start at 9:00 a.m.

Starting this Friday, November 1st The Otsego County
Planning Department & Solid Waste, Televisions, monitors, and commercial
grade electronics will be charged at $12 per unit at the Oneonta Transfer
Station.  All other electronics will
remain free.  Officials said that the
change is to help cover rising recycling costs related to electronics, more information
is available at 547-4256.

The New Berlin Art Forum presents the Navy band Commodores
for a free concert Wednesday night at the Unadilla Valley Central School
Auditorium.  Forum Spokesperson Margaret
Murray said that the show is free but tickets are required for this Jazz
Concert:

(Margaret Murray 10-29-19)

Murray said that she will take
ticket reservations through 3:00 PM Wednesday 263-2115, Tickets are also
available at The New Berlin Library & the New Berlin Service Pharmacy.

47-year-old Andrew Menke has died following a Saturday
Afternoon Fire in his 3rd Floor Apartment above the Little Venice Restaurant in
Binghamton over the weekend.  Menke was
discovered in the hallway at 111 Chenango Street, he was taken to Wilson
Medical Center, and He was moved to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.  Fire damage was confined to the third-floor
apartment where the blaze originated. The restaurant sustained some water
damage, but was able to re-open Sunday.
The investigation is continuing.

The Otsego County Planning Department
has announced their 22nd Annual Household Hazardous Waste Days.  The 1st collection day will be at the
Unadilla Town Barn on Friday September 20th from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM, the 2nd
day will be at the Cooperstown Meadows Office Complex on Saturday September
21st from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  There will
be a small fee for businesses wishing to participate; they must register by the
end of the business day tomorrow.  More information
is available at 547-4225.

Governor Cuomo today signed
legislation to prohibit companies from charging early termination fees on motor
vehicle lease contracts if a customer has passed away before the end of the
contract. Similar laws are in place prohibiting phone, television, internet,
energy and water service providers from charging early termination fees if a
contract is broken due to the death of the customer.

With the extreme temperatures expected through the weekend,
state & local officials are reminding area residents to try to find air
conditioned places during the peak hours, avoid strenuous activities &
rigorous exercising outdoors, Wear light clothing, Check on family members and
neighbors, Drink plenty of water, Watch out for heat cramps, heat exhaustion,
and heat stroke.  With regards to pets,
or children, do not leave them in a closed car.

Delaware County continues to sell it recyclable at about the
same rate as it has over the last several years, County Solid Waste Coordinator
Tyson Robb explains:

(Tyson Robb 7-19-19)

Robb said that China has restricted the importing of
recyclables there, Delaware county remains somewhat unaffected by that, as
volume out remains the same, however revenue from the recyclables has suffered
a significant decline.  Delaware County
Residents are still urged to recycle as they have been in the recent past.

The State Senate passed State Senator Jen Metzger's bill to
aid dairy farmers in complying with regulations to address water that can
collect in waste tires used by farmers use to hold down tarps over silage and
feed, which the DEC has determined creates a risk of mosquito breeding
grounds.  The DEC regulations require
cutting waste tires in half, drilling holes in them, or disposing of them and
finding new methods of covering silage, Metzger's bill is sponsored in the
Assembly by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, it instructs the Commissioner of
Agriculture and Markets and the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to
develop a plan to remove used tires from farms at no cost to the farmers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the
availability of nearly $87 million in grant funding to assist states, tribes,
and territories with improving drinking water. New York is eligible to receive
up to $3.7 million in available funding.
Program participants will be asked to submit work plans to EPA outlining
their proposed project for approval and funding.   More information is available at
epa.gov/safewater/grants

The Town of Unadilla will be holding its annual Metal Day on
May 16 from 6:30AM to 4:00 PM at the Town Barn on Martin Brook Road.  Town officials said that they will accept
Tires without rims or large truck/agricultural tires, plus Scrap Metal,
Appliances, Waste Oil, & Electronics.
More information is available at 369-4433.

Delaware County Department of
Public Works Commissioner Sue McIntyre announced the hiring of Tyson Robb as
coordinator of the county’s Solid Waste Division of DPW.  McIntyre held that position for many years
prior to her promotion to Commissioner.

A Boil Water order has been issued for the Village foo
Bainbridge, following yesterday's Water Main issue.  The Chenango County Health Department
reported that the order will be in effect for 2 to 3 days. More information is
available at 337-1673 or 967-8696.

The Village of New Berlin has scheduled a seminar of today
at 10:00 AM, regarding an issue with particles in the water.  New Berlin mayor Terry Potter comments:

(Terry Potter 1-25-19)

The meeting will be held in the New Berlin Village Hall
& engineers from Delaware Engineering will answer questions from citizens,
regarding the water issue and the safety of the water supply.

Police in Vestal announced that they are seeking 87 year old Charles McGlynn of Vestal, as a missing vulnerable adult. McGlynn suffers from dementia, and may require medical attention, he was last seen Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00PM on Hazel Drive in Vestal, he may be driving a 2009 grey Honda Civic with license plate number ANW-2161, he is described as a white male, 6'1", about 150 pounds, with white hair & a mustache, and blue eyes & wears glasses, he was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a blue jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Vestal Police at 786-7600 or 911.

State Police and the American Red Cross are Co-hosting the 5th annual State Trooper Christopher Skinner Memorial Blood Drive in Kirkwood today. Trooper Skinner was intentionally run down by Almond Upton while he was conducting a traffic stop on I-81 in 2014, a blood drive has been held in Skinner's memory every year since his death. The blood drive today runs from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 PM at the 5 Mile Point Fire Company at 16 Crescent Drive in Kirkwood. The blood drive is open to the public as well as those in Law Enforcement, appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org or at 1-800-red cross.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Friday Breakfast event in Walton on January 11th. The event will run from 8:30 to 10:00 am at the Castle on the Delaware 139 Stockton Avenue in Walton. The featured speaker is Perry Dewey, Superintendent at DCMO BOCES, who will talk about on-campus, work-ready training programs for graduating high school seniors and how Delaware County's educational leaders are collaborating with the business community. More information is available at delawarecounty.org.

Former Broome County Family Court Judge Rick Miller has had a lawsuit filed against him by 2 former employees in his office of sexual harassment. The lawsuit claims that Miller subjected the employees to harassing and abusive behavior at least 50 times between 2015 and June of 2017. Miller was removed from the bench in 2016.

Now that Christmas has passed, chenango County residents may wonder how they shoudl dispose of their trees this year. Dustin Hendricks of Chenango County DPW Explains:

(Dustin Hendricks 12-26-18)

Chenango County has 3 solid waste and recycling facilities operated by the Department of Public Works, the Pharsalia Landfill, plus 2 Transfer Stations, 1 in the Town of North Norwich and the other near Brisben.

4 Deposit men have been arrested in connection with a stabbing at the McDonald's on Main Street in Johnson City on December 20th. 2 men were taken to Wilson Hospital with stab wounds, Arrested for 2 counts each of gang assault were 22 year old Dane Edwards, 33 year old Jay Moore, 24 year old Travis Dise & 31 year old Christopher Nugent of Deposit, they were taken into custody without incident and will appear in court at a later date; additional arrests are expected.

Illegally manufactured fentanyl was the driving force behind a 45.2% increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids from 2016 to 2017, according to a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017. Opioids were involved in 67.8%, or 47,600 of those deaths. Of those opioid-involved overdose deaths, 59.8% of them, or 28,466, were due to synthetic opioids. A separate report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics released earlier this month found that in 2016 fentanyl surpassed heroin as the most commonly used drug in overdose deaths in the US.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday that the flu virus is prevalent in New York state. Health care workers, who are not vaccinated, are now required to wear a surgical procedure mask around patients. The department has also launched a flu tracker that allows people to stay up-to-date about flu rates in their county. Department reps say there have been over 3,000 flu cases in the state so far this season

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual State of The State Breakfast on January 2nd at the SUNY Oneonta Otsego Grille in the Morris Conference Center. The event will begin at 8:30, State Senator Jim Seward & Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig will be among the guest speakers.

The City of Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a water main valve located on West Ann Street today. Work is to take place starting at 8am with water outages to begin at 9am. Residents on West Ann, Baker, London, Wilcox, and River Street (between Ann and Wilcox) will be without water for the duration of the project. West Ann St will be closed to traffic for the duration of work. Drivers on West Ann Street are advised to move vehicles from driveways prior to 8am. More information is available at 432-2100

The Town of Hartwick will receive $1 million in grant money from the state for upgrades to the town’s water system. The money will be used to replace water mains, the auxiliary well and the primary well-house building, and to help pay for new mixers for the water storage tank and an emergency backup generator, as well as replacing or repairing water meters.

Delaware County's Clean Sweep Hazardous Waste disposal days are coming up this week, County Solid Waste Coordinator Sue McIntyre comments:

(Sue McIntyre 10-16-18)

The event will allow for county farms, businesses & residents to get rid of items such as paints, pesticides & other house hold chemicals, plus Pharmaceutical Wastes, Sharps & Syringes.

Otsego County's 21st Annual Household Hazardous Waste Days will be held Today & tomorrow. Otsego County Residents can bring household hazardous waste, such as enamel paints, pesticides, antifreeze, batteries and more FREE of CHARGE, Last year 550 cars from an estimated 600 households brought various hazardous materials for disposal. Household collections will be held this morning at the Unadilla Town Barn from 8:00AM to 11:00 AM, and Saturday, at the Meadows Office Complex in Cooperstown from 8:00AM to 1:00PM.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is conducting its quarterly business meeting this morning at 9:00 AM at the DoubleTree by Hilton at 225 Water Street in Binghamton. The Commissioners will act on 20 project applications; make revisions to investment policies; The meeting is open to the public.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office announced that staff will attend community events around the state in September to help residents search for unclaimed funds. DiNapoli oversees more than 39 million unclaimed funds accounts valued at $15.5 billion until the money can be returned to its rightful owners. Unclaimed funds come from old bank accounts, utility deposits, uncashed checks, insurance claims, stocks and other sources that have been dormant for a number of years. Residents who cannot make it to the events can call 1-800-221-9311. The next Southern Tier event with representatives from the Comptroller's office will be on September 9th from 12:00 Noon until 10:00 PM at the Blues on the Bridge at Riverside Drive & Water Street in Binghamton.

Governor Cuomo announced that $14.7 million has been awarded to implement water quality protection projects on 43 farms across the state. The funding was provided through the second round of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Waste Storage and Transfer System Program. It supports projects that will allow large livestock farms to better manage and store nutrients, such as manure, to protect ground water and nearby waterways. More information is available at agriculture.ny.gov.

The Sidney Police Department will be taking part in the National Drug Take Back event Saturday, Chief Jan Gorshack explains:

(Jan Gorshack 4-27-18)

The event is held every year nationwide to remove expired unwanted and potentially dangerous medications out of people's homes, and also out of the waste stream when they can seep into aquifers & waterways, tainting water supplies.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced that the Filtration Waiver granted to towns & counties in the City's upstate Watershed has been granted for another 10 years. The agreement was reached 20 years ago after lengthy negotiations between the City, The State & a coalition of local leaders from the towns affected by the original onerous regulations proposed in 1989. The agreement allowed for New York City to receive water from the upstate reservoirs without building an expensive filtration system.

The state DEC announced that the statewide Pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program is available for participation by PHARMACIES, HOSPITALS AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. The PROGRAM is funded through the Environmental Protection Fund, with resources from the fund used to cover the full cost of purchasing U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-compliant medication drop boxes, as well as the cost of pick up, transport, and destruction of collected waste pharmaceuticals for a two-year period. The program is being instituted as Flushed medications have been found in New York lakes, rivers, and streams and can negatively affect the waterways, as well as the concerns about unused pharmaceuticals getting into the wrong hands. Retail pharmacies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities are encouraged to enroll online at dec.ny.gov/chemical or at on.ny.gov/rxpilot.

Farmers will have two opportunities to drop off used agricultural film plastic for recycling under a special program offered by Otsego County Solid Waste Department, the Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District, Otsego County Conservation Association, and Casella Waste Solutions. Collection dates are Saturday at the Southern Transfer Station in Oneonta, and Thursday, November 16 at the Northern Transfer Station in Cooperstown, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. both days. More information is available at 282-4087 or occainfo.org/recycling-agricultural-plastics.

Otsego County Farmers will have 2 opportunities to drop off used agricultural film plastic for recycling under a special program offered by the County Solid Waste Department, the County Soil & Water Conservation District, Otsego County Conservation Association, and Casella Waste Solutions. Collection dates are this Saturday, November 11, at the Southern Transfer Station in Oneonta, and Thursday, November 16 at the Northern Transfer Station in Cooperstown, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. both days. The collection is free, but pre-registration is requested. Registration & more information is available at 282-4087, or occainfo.org/recycling-agricultural-plastics.