The announcement earlier this week that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation had entered into a Consent Order with the Village of Groton over the discharge of high levels of phosphorous into the Owasco Watershed is a major victory for the environment. Yet, this victory should not allow local governments, and the public, to settle back into a “business as usual” attitude #- an attitude that has allowed the lake to deteriorate over the last decade.

The Consent Order, which fines Groton a token $1,000 now, requires them to upgrade their filtration plant for the treatment of phosphorus by June 30, 2008. The village must use interim procedures to remove phosphorous until then.

Credit for this action lays, in large part, with one organization and one individual. There is no question that if it wasn't for the Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) pushing this issue over the last several years to get the public and local officials to pay attention to the lake and its watershed this would still be an unresolved issue. They have done a great job in educating the public about the almost three-fold increase in phosphorus levels between 1986 and last year.

Credit for action by the state has to lie with Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, who, last month, not only convened a discussion at Emerson Park on the state of the lake, but also has been pushing the DEC for action. As he did more than a decade ago, to deal with discharge from Smith Corona into the Owasco Watershed, he exerted pressure on the DEC to take action.

While Groton will slowly be making changes to the way that it deals with phosphorus, those leading and living in the Owasco Watershed can't say “hey we won” and everything is fine. It isn't.

It is clear that the message from the session convened by Nozzolio at the foot of Owasco Lake is that much more needs to be done to save the lake. A recent report by Hobart and William Smith College's assistant professor of Geosciences, John Halfman, showed that of seven area lakes tested, Owasco was more turbid (sediment clouded) and had higher harmful nitrate nutrients than any other.

It's a distinction that we don't want to have.

The political leadership of those in the Owasco Watershed needs to act on, not just talk about, improving Owasco Lake. That means putting the financial resources necessary for watershed inspection personnel and, where needed, regulations that will preserve the lake and prevent nitrate laden nutrients and other pollutants from making their way into the lake. This victory should not be seen as the end, but as a step in helping to restore Owasco Lake back to health.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com