January 13, 2022 Daily Headlines

The Environmental Protection Agency has rejected a request from the Greenidge Generation facility to keep its Coal Ash Pond open. Greenidge had requested the EPA allow them to continue accepting waste past an April 2021 deadline. Seneca Lake Guardian, a local environmental group, commended the EPA’s decision saying the pond was contaminating Seneca Lake and the Keuka Outlet with substances like Magnesium, Boron, Sulfate, and Iron. 

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New York state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium will end on Saturday. But according to Syracuse.com, the state is also opening an online portal to allow residents to apply for eviction protection and rent relief. The decision to reopen the online portal comes as the Legal Aid Society sues the state of New York in an attempt to extend the moratorium. Governor Kathy Hochul said her administration cannot continue to supply rent relief without further aid from Washington. 

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Last week Shawna Black was unanimously elected chair of the Tompkins County Legislature. According to the Ithaca Voice, Black took over from retiring chair Leslyn McBean-Clairborne. Black, a Democrat, represents the Town of Ithaca, in the legislature. Black was first elected to the legislature in 2017, and began serving as Vice-Chair in 2019. Lansing Democrat Deborah Dawson was elected Vice-Chair also winning a unanimous vote.

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TCAT is advising riders it will be reducing the number of bus trips as the community faces a surge in COVID cases. According to the Ithaca Voice, TCAT will be reducing the number of trips, on popular routes like routes 10, 30, and 81. TCAT says the reduction is because of a worker shortage fueled by the spread of the Omicron Variant as it has lost a number of workers to either Positive COVID tests or COVID symptoms. TCAT was already operating on a reduced schedule for the winter holiday.