Headlines for Thursday, October 6, 2022

Assemblymember Anna Kelles, Seneca Lake winemakers, and activists are crying foul on the DEC’s handling of a permit granted to Greenidge Generation’s proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining operation in Dresden. The original permit expired on September 30 and contained certain requirements for screens to be attached to the plant’s cool water intake pipes. According to Seneca Lake Guardian the screens required have not yet been installed and the DEC improperly extended the deadline to install them without public comment. They say Greenidge pulls in 139 million gallons of lake water every day and releases it back into the lake at temperatures up to 108 degrees.

Schuyler County Sheriff Kevin Rumsey and County Attorney Steven Getman have drafted a resolution challenging New York’s new laws regulating the carrying of concealed firearms. The new law limits open carry in certain “sensitive places” including schools, churches, subways, and theaters. The draft resolution quotes State Trooper PBA president Thomas Mungeer who said the definition of sensitive places is far too broad. It also criticizes what it calls an unfunded mandate on local officials to carry out the new screening and training procedures and says review of permit applicants’ social media accounts represent a potential violation of first amendment protections. Similar resolutions have been passed in ​​Allegany, Greene, Madison, Niagara, Seneca, Wayne  and St. Lawrence Counties. The Schuyler proposal will go before the entire Legislature on October 11.

The Tompkins County Sheriff’s office is warning that an animal tranquilizer is being mixed with street drugs making overdoses resistant to Narcan. According to the Ithaca Voice, the so-called “tranq-dope” contains Xylazine which is not approved for human use. While it’s still important to first administer Narcan in cases of tranq-dope overdose, doctors recommend also providing rescue breathing support as Xylazine slows breathing and heart rates.