Nation officials appear at City Common Council meeting
OLEAN, N.Y. – Leaders of the Seneca Nation are again calling on the City of Olean to finally take aggressive action to address the longstanding failures in the City’s wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that allow for the chronic discharge of untreated sewage into the Ohi:yo’, Allegheny River, a valued natural and cultural resource for the Seneca people.
Elected members of the Seneca Nation Council appeared before the Olean Common Council on March 11 to demand action, especially as the Nation and other impacted communities prepare for anticipated overflows from the City’s inadequate wastewater treatment system resulting from the thaw of the thick snowpack in the region and spring rains. The Seneca Councillors read aloud and delivered a letter to Mayor William Aiello on behalf of Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca, as well as a resolution passed by the Seneca Nation Council on March 8 demanding the City take action.
“Protecting the public health of Olean citizens by shifting dangerous wastes, produced in Olean, downstream to other communities such as the Seneca Nation is unconscionable and unacceptable,” stated President Seneca in his letter. “This warped mindset and discharge activity must end.”
Above: L to R – Seneca Nation Councillors Odie Porter, Josh Becker, Jeff Gill, and Tina Abrams appeared before the Olean Common Council demanding the City take action to address chronic overflows into the Ohi:yo’.
In 2001, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Administrative Order of Consent for the City of Olean to upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities to stop discharges into the river. To date, the city has been unable to comply with the order, which has subsequently been revised multiple times to allow the city additional time. Currently, Olean has until 2042 to become fully compliant.
An approximate 35-mile stretch of the river is located on Seneca Nation territory. Many Nation members live along the river and regularly swim, fish and boat in its waters. Since 2007, there have been 46 recorded discharges from the city’s system into the river, resulting in millions of gallons of dangerous waste flowing through communities downstream, including the Nation’s Allegany Territory. In April and June 2024 alone, overflow events resulting from heavy rains in the area accounted for more than 460,000 gallons of untreated sewage being discharged into the river.
Despite the health and environmental risks posed by the repeated discharges, and despite repeated calls from the Nation and others to address and permanently fix the failings of the city’s infrastructure systems, Olean officials have maintained a course of making minimal investments of $250,000 in annual repairs, in keeping with the 2042 compliance deadline of the Order of Consent.
“This is an inadequate response,” President Seneca said. “It is tantamount to placing a band-aid on a gaping wound. The city’s discharges are polluting our Nation’s waterways, disturbing Mother Earth and future generations, and interfering with our treaty-protected right to the free use and enjoyment of our lands.”
Meanwhile, the city has found the wherewithal to fund other capital projects in recent years, issuing more than $5 million in bonds for discretionary projects in just the past six years. The projects include ice rink renovations at the William O. Smith Recreation Center, a farmers’ market in Lincoln Park, a stage, restrooms and dog park at Oak Hill Park, and a splash park at War Veterans Park.
“We cannot afford to wait decades for Olean to adequately address its blatant wastewater discharge failures and to finally prioritize the people they threaten,” President Seneca added. “It is long past time for the city to do the right thing and take action to protect the river – Ohi:yo’, – for all.”
Check out a clip from WGRZ Channel 2 news HERE.
