The Watertown City Council has never stepped in to stop the sewage treatment plant from treating waste from outside users, but it's considering doing so after learning the plant was permitted by the state to accept hydro-fracking fluid from a natural gas well in the Northern Catskills.The plant accepted 35,000 gallons of the fluid in January. Some environmental groups have argued that large quantities of the fluid, a byproduct of a certain drilling process for natural gas, can kill the organisms used to digest waste in sewage treatment plants, potentially harming both the plants and the waterways into which they discharge treated water.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation granted the city permission in late December to accept 35,000 gallons of "flowback fluid" from the Ross No. 1 vertical well drilled in the town of Maryland, Otsego County, by Gastem Inc., Quebec. The company is using the well to extract natural gas from the Utica Shale formation.
Council members expressed varying opinions about continuing to accept the fluid following Monday night's meeting.
"My feeling all along is that this is a parochial issue taking place in Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier," Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham said. "I don't think this is our problem, and it doesn't make sense to ship it all the way up here."
While treatment plant Supervisor Michael J. Sligar could not attend Monday night's council meeting, a report was included in the lawmakers' agendas that said the fluid had no ill effects on the plant or Black River. Mr. Sligar has said the plant likely would treat the wastewater produced by Gastem for any of the remaining four wells the company is permitted to drill.
"I just don't think we should be getting into it," Councilwoman Teresa R. Macaluso said. "A lot of people seem to have a problem with it."
Councilmen Joseph M. Butler Jr. and Jeffrey M. Smith both said they will defer to Mr. Sligar's opinion.
"I think the report clearly states that this didn't have a negative impact on either the plant or the river," Mr. Smith said. "If we're going to have an industrial hauling program, then we should use it."
He added that the city should be charging a higher rate per gallon as long as developers are willing to haul the fluid from the well to Watertown. The city charged Gastem $1,125 for the treatment.
The plant has accepted liquid waste from outside customers, with little oversight from the City Council, since 1986.
Council members who spoke to the Times on Monday night said they trust Mr. Sligar will not take excessive risks when accepting flowback fluid.
"I believe he will make sure that plant is working well within its capabilities and I trust he's keeping everyone's safety in mind," Mr. Butler said.
Council members learned of the city's involvement with the Montreal-based driller in an eleventh-hour memo sent to them from City Manager Mary M. Corriveau in January. The memo said that tankers filled with the fluid would be arriving at the city sewage treatment plant the following day.
"The development and siting of this type of natural gas well fields has been controversial, therefore I wanted the City Council to be aware of the fact that on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, the city of Watertown will begin treating and disposing of 35,000 gallons of well flowback wastewater authorized by the DEC," Mrs. Corriveau wrote in the letter.
The city manager was criticized in her annual review by Councilwoman Roxanne M. Burns because of the late notification.
"The response that council didn't need to give approval, the memo was just a courtesy, was not appropriate given the possible public opposition to such activity," Ms. Burns wrote.
The council has asked that Mr. Sligar attend a meeting later this month to discuss the issue.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Fire Chief To Retire, City Still Choosing Replacement
The Watertown Fire Department may temporarily be under the leadership of a battalion chief this spring.City Manager Mary M. Corriveau announced Monday night that acting Chief Milton M. Sayre will retire April 10, meaning one of the department's own will likely be appointed to the position.
The chief's retirement comes as the city waits for results of civil service exams given in January for an open competitive and a promotional test for both the chief and now vacant deputy chief's positions. Of those interested in the positions, 14 candidates took at least one of the tests and nine candidates took the deputy chief test as well.
"We knew he had wanted to retire sometime in April when he originally signed on to take the job," Mrs. Corriveau said.
Mr. Sayre, who was originally slated to retire in 2009, has filled in as the chief after former Chief Daniel J. Gaumont resigned last March ago to take a position in Keller, Texas.
"We could potentially be months without a chief," Councilman Jeffrey M. Smith said.
While council members displayed frustration that a replacement has not yet been found, the fire department's union president expressed confidence that a battalion chief can step in to the leadership role.
"Of the five battalion chiefs, four of them have 20 years or more on the job," said Timothy "Tucker" Wiley, president of Watertown Firefighters Local 191. "They're all very well qualified."
Mr. Wiley also said he was frustrated that the test results have not been submitted to the city.
"I can not believe they're not back yet," he said. "They normally get those back in four to six weeks. I don't understand what is taking so long."
Elizabeth U. Morris, executive secretary of the Civil Service Commission, has not yet received the results from the state Department of Civil Service in Albany. In January, she said she expected the results to be back in about six weeks.
The city's Civil Service Commission is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. today, but has not included the test results on its agenda.
Mr. Wiley said he plans to attend the meeting to voice his concerns.
"We're so deep into it now, what's it matter?" asked Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham. "There's either going to be a list of candidates, or there isn't."
Mr. Gaumont was appointed to the position in December 1999 by then-City Manager Jerry C. Hiller. He was then forced to take, and pass, a civil service exam the following January before being given the job permanently.
Despite being light on leadership in the last 12 months, the department has held together well, Mr. Wiley said.
"It was actually a pretty slow winter," he said. "Our call volume pretty much stayed up, but we were down on fire calls."
The chief's retirement comes as the city waits for results of civil service exams given in January for an open competitive and a promotional test for both the chief and now vacant deputy chief's positions. Of those interested in the positions, 14 candidates took at least one of the tests and nine candidates took the deputy chief test as well.
"We knew he had wanted to retire sometime in April when he originally signed on to take the job," Mrs. Corriveau said.
Mr. Sayre, who was originally slated to retire in 2009, has filled in as the chief after former Chief Daniel J. Gaumont resigned last March ago to take a position in Keller, Texas.
"We could potentially be months without a chief," Councilman Jeffrey M. Smith said.
While council members displayed frustration that a replacement has not yet been found, the fire department's union president expressed confidence that a battalion chief can step in to the leadership role.
"Of the five battalion chiefs, four of them have 20 years or more on the job," said Timothy "Tucker" Wiley, president of Watertown Firefighters Local 191. "They're all very well qualified."
Mr. Wiley also said he was frustrated that the test results have not been submitted to the city.
"I can not believe they're not back yet," he said. "They normally get those back in four to six weeks. I don't understand what is taking so long."
Elizabeth U. Morris, executive secretary of the Civil Service Commission, has not yet received the results from the state Department of Civil Service in Albany. In January, she said she expected the results to be back in about six weeks.
The city's Civil Service Commission is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. today, but has not included the test results on its agenda.
Mr. Wiley said he plans to attend the meeting to voice his concerns.
"We're so deep into it now, what's it matter?" asked Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham. "There's either going to be a list of candidates, or there isn't."
Mr. Gaumont was appointed to the position in December 1999 by then-City Manager Jerry C. Hiller. He was then forced to take, and pass, a civil service exam the following January before being given the job permanently.
Despite being light on leadership in the last 12 months, the department has held together well, Mr. Wiley said.
"It was actually a pretty slow winter," he said. "Our call volume pretty much stayed up, but we were down on fire calls."
Sunday, March 7, 2010
City's Core Regaining Community Spirit
This story was printed in the Watertown Daily Times' Progress Edition:
Downtown Watertown's new design has inspired a renewed vigor by some business owners to invest in the city's hub.On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Trudy M. Dean, owner of the Paddock Coffee House, brewed a fresh pot of coffee while watching shoppers stroll by her storefront.
"It's convenient," said Ms. Dean, who opened her shop three years ago in the first floor of the Paddock Arcade. "Here in the Paddock, the business owners act as a big family. That's the best part about it."
The Paddock Arcade, which bills itself as the oldest continually operating mall in America, has seen somewhat of a revitalization in the last five years.
Empty storefronts scarred the first floor a few years ago, leaving the remaining tenants wondering what would become of the empty spaces. The building was condemned in 2005 because of code violations.
In mid-February, each storefront on the first floor was filled. On a weekday afternoon, customers lingered around the coffee shop; bartenders at the Paddock Club readied their supplies and a waitress at Johnny D's restaurant cleaned tables following the lunch rush.
"My business is a lot of walk-ins," Ms. Dean said. "They come from the banks and the offices. It's nice to be able to walk around down here and get almost anything you need."
While some areas of downtown are thriving, others continue to languish. Along the north side of Public Square, some storefronts have been vacated recently - such as the former Wind & Wire music store - or have been empty for years.
The building abutting the Crystal Restaurant is a former ice cream shop. While detritus remained in the first floor, the building has not seen occupants in more than three years.
The storefront of Olde World Pottery, 89 Public Square, is now vacant, but only because the store moved its merchandise to the second floor of the Paddock Arcade.
One north side, however, a business is expanding its showroom.
On a recent Friday, Owen B. Lewis, Rent-A-Zone's director of operations, stood on a dusty floor surrounded by wheelbarrows, Sheetrock and various other construction supplies.
"We've been here for 10 years and it's been fairly steady business for the entire time," Mr. Lewis said. "We thought that if we could double the size of the showroom, we could show twice as much of our merchandise."
Mr. Lewis said that being located downtown allows customers to walk to his store.
"Being down here, we're kind of in the center of the city, so it helps them get to us," he said. "Walk-ins are a good portion of our business."
Rent-A-Zone, 101 Public Square, recently purchased the former Apex Army & Navy store after its owner, Edwin H. Krupkin, retired. A wall between the two stores was knocked down, and crews will renovate the additional space.
Mr. Lewis said both storefronts will have the facades refurbished, using grant funds from the Main Street Facade Program.
That program is administered by Neighbors of Watertown Inc., which also is supplying grant funding so that seven apartments can be constructed in the upper floors of the Rent-A-Zone building.
Gary C. Beasley, the agency's executive director, said Neighbors is in the bid process to construct apartments in at least three buildings downtown.
The Rent-A-Zone, Apex and Cahill's buildings will have apartments constructed within them; Wing Wagon participated in the program last year.
"We hope to have all of them done by the end of the year," Mr. Beasley said.
Neighbors of Watertown is also the lead agency renovating the Franklin Building on Public Square's south side. The formerly vacant YWCA building now has about 80 workers occupying it each day. The building's first floor will be converted into commercial space and the upper floors will become apartments.
While some of the building's historic character, like a turn-of-the century walkway and the outline of the building's windows, will remain intact, the space will be modernized to include handicapped-accessible ramps and lifts.
"There's going to 100-plus construction jobs downtown this summer," Mr. Beasley said. "That means there are going to be a lot of extra lunches purchased at the Crystal Restaurant and at Subway. They're moving at a steady pace, barring they can avoid as many interruptions as they can."
Filling some of those spaces in the Franklin Building will be small business owners.
Heading the Downtown Business Association is a man whose occupation is making sure the ventures of small business owners are a success. John T. Gould is a senior business adviser at Jefferson Community College's Small Business Development Center.
"We're basically trying to continue, and improve, the events that have been taking place downtown for the last few years," he said.
Since the city wrapped up its multimillion-dollar streetscape project in 2008, the DBA has pushed to hold events downtown.
Its Box Lunch Revue was moved from the Jefferson County Historical Society's front yard on Washington Street to the new gazebo in the center traffic island downtown.
The city has closed the north side of Public Square to traffic each of the last two years for Fall Fest, an event that Mr. Gould said brought thousands of people downtown last September.
"Basically, we're not trying to compete with the malls or plazas," Mr. Gould said. "But if we can entice them to come down and spend a few extra dollars each month downtown, then the DBA is doing its job."
He added: "Downtown businesses provide a personal touch that you're not going to find in a mall or plaza. A lot of those businesses are owner operated and run, so if you have a question, the person behind the counter might be the owner themselves."
Downtown Watertown's new design has inspired a renewed vigor by some business owners to invest in the city's hub.On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Trudy M. Dean, owner of the Paddock Coffee House, brewed a fresh pot of coffee while watching shoppers stroll by her storefront.
"It's convenient," said Ms. Dean, who opened her shop three years ago in the first floor of the Paddock Arcade. "Here in the Paddock, the business owners act as a big family. That's the best part about it."
The Paddock Arcade, which bills itself as the oldest continually operating mall in America, has seen somewhat of a revitalization in the last five years.
Empty storefronts scarred the first floor a few years ago, leaving the remaining tenants wondering what would become of the empty spaces. The building was condemned in 2005 because of code violations.
In mid-February, each storefront on the first floor was filled. On a weekday afternoon, customers lingered around the coffee shop; bartenders at the Paddock Club readied their supplies and a waitress at Johnny D's restaurant cleaned tables following the lunch rush.
"My business is a lot of walk-ins," Ms. Dean said. "They come from the banks and the offices. It's nice to be able to walk around down here and get almost anything you need."
While some areas of downtown are thriving, others continue to languish. Along the north side of Public Square, some storefronts have been vacated recently - such as the former Wind & Wire music store - or have been empty for years.
The building abutting the Crystal Restaurant is a former ice cream shop. While detritus remained in the first floor, the building has not seen occupants in more than three years.
The storefront of Olde World Pottery, 89 Public Square, is now vacant, but only because the store moved its merchandise to the second floor of the Paddock Arcade.
One north side, however, a business is expanding its showroom.
On a recent Friday, Owen B. Lewis, Rent-A-Zone's director of operations, stood on a dusty floor surrounded by wheelbarrows, Sheetrock and various other construction supplies.
"We've been here for 10 years and it's been fairly steady business for the entire time," Mr. Lewis said. "We thought that if we could double the size of the showroom, we could show twice as much of our merchandise."
Mr. Lewis said that being located downtown allows customers to walk to his store.
"Being down here, we're kind of in the center of the city, so it helps them get to us," he said. "Walk-ins are a good portion of our business."
Rent-A-Zone, 101 Public Square, recently purchased the former Apex Army & Navy store after its owner, Edwin H. Krupkin, retired. A wall between the two stores was knocked down, and crews will renovate the additional space.
Mr. Lewis said both storefronts will have the facades refurbished, using grant funds from the Main Street Facade Program.
That program is administered by Neighbors of Watertown Inc., which also is supplying grant funding so that seven apartments can be constructed in the upper floors of the Rent-A-Zone building.
Gary C. Beasley, the agency's executive director, said Neighbors is in the bid process to construct apartments in at least three buildings downtown.
The Rent-A-Zone, Apex and Cahill's buildings will have apartments constructed within them; Wing Wagon participated in the program last year.
"We hope to have all of them done by the end of the year," Mr. Beasley said.
Neighbors of Watertown is also the lead agency renovating the Franklin Building on Public Square's south side. The formerly vacant YWCA building now has about 80 workers occupying it each day. The building's first floor will be converted into commercial space and the upper floors will become apartments.
While some of the building's historic character, like a turn-of-the century walkway and the outline of the building's windows, will remain intact, the space will be modernized to include handicapped-accessible ramps and lifts.
"There's going to 100-plus construction jobs downtown this summer," Mr. Beasley said. "That means there are going to be a lot of extra lunches purchased at the Crystal Restaurant and at Subway. They're moving at a steady pace, barring they can avoid as many interruptions as they can."
Filling some of those spaces in the Franklin Building will be small business owners.
Heading the Downtown Business Association is a man whose occupation is making sure the ventures of small business owners are a success. John T. Gould is a senior business adviser at Jefferson Community College's Small Business Development Center.
"We're basically trying to continue, and improve, the events that have been taking place downtown for the last few years," he said.
Since the city wrapped up its multimillion-dollar streetscape project in 2008, the DBA has pushed to hold events downtown.
Its Box Lunch Revue was moved from the Jefferson County Historical Society's front yard on Washington Street to the new gazebo in the center traffic island downtown.
The city has closed the north side of Public Square to traffic each of the last two years for Fall Fest, an event that Mr. Gould said brought thousands of people downtown last September.
"Basically, we're not trying to compete with the malls or plazas," Mr. Gould said. "But if we can entice them to come down and spend a few extra dollars each month downtown, then the DBA is doing its job."
He added: "Downtown businesses provide a personal touch that you're not going to find in a mall or plaza. A lot of those businesses are owner operated and run, so if you have a question, the person behind the counter might be the owner themselves."
Sunday, February 28, 2010
"Scared Of The Cost" Breen Avenue Residents Pushing For Reconstruction of Roadway
Resentment is building among some Breen Avenue residents over the city's lukewarm interest in reconstructing the aging street.Anthony J. Doldo, owner of the General Store and Anthony's Pools, said he will spend the weekend lobbying fellow Breen Avenue residents to attend Monday night's City Council meeting in an attempt to pressure the council into funding the estimated $2.1 million reconstruction project.
"I know they're in a budget crunch this year and it's tough for people on both sides, but this is the one thing they need to do, to take care of our infrastructure," said Mr. Doldo, a former Jefferson County Legislature candidate.
On Friday afternoon, puddles of various sizes dotted the roadway, hiding the potholes beneath them. Driving over a portion of the road, marked by a "bump" sign, felt more like crossing a trough or creek bed than traveling on a city street. The city has identified Breen Avenue as in need of improvements for nearly a decade, although little has been done.
"The times are tough right now, but there are some advantages right now," Mr. Doldo said. "Some contractors may be struggling because of the economy, so they might want to bid low. The interest rates are also low, so there are some savings out there."
While Councilmen Joseph M. Butler Jr. and Jeffrey M. Smith have voiced support for the project, Councilwomen Roxanne M. Burns and Teresa R. Macaluso and Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham have said they need more time to consider it.
"Like a majority of the council, we understand infrastructure projects need to be done," the mayor said. "It's just the notion of spending $2 million on that project that doesn't settle well."
Mr. Graham said he is undecided about the project and will have to hear discussion at the meeting before he makes a decision. An ordinance to borrow money needs a four-fifths vote to pass.
"Obviously, there's a lot of chatter going on behind the scenes right now and a lot of lobbying," Mr. Graham said. "No one is against the street per se, but some people are quivering just at the thought of financing it. People are scared over the cost. It's just that simple."
The mayor said that if two council members vote against the ordinance before his turn, he also will vote against it.
"I'm really discouraged with the City Council right now. I thought we voted for some people who were going to really aggressively address these problems," said Thomas J. Bruno, president of the Italian-American Civic Association. "I hope I don't get driven out of town for saying that."
While the civic association is on Bellew Avenue, many of its members live in the neighborhood along Breen Avenue, Mr. Bruno said.
"That street is bad. I know all the other streets are bad, but they've been dancing around it for years now," Mr. Bruno said. "You're almost driving on someone's lawn so your car doesn't fall in the holes."
While potholes have formed on the street, trouble may be brewing under the surface, neighbors said.
Mr. Doldo said neighbors have complained of backed-up sewer laterals and flooded cellars.
Patrick A. Fontana, principal of Immaculate Heart Central High School, lives on the 100 block of Breen Avenue.
He recently paid a plumber about $350 to fix a plugged drain. The plumber, he said, found that the sewer lateral was damaged and will have to be repaired.
"The city workers were there and they're telling me there's a problem at the juncture of the line for my drain and the main below the street," Mr. Fontana said. "I know they have flags up there and they're going to dig it up and it's going to need to be repaired."
"I'm not an engineer, so I don't know what conditions all of the drains are in, but as you drive down the street, it appears it needs to be repaired," he said. "Whether it's now or later, they have to get it done, and if they wait longer it's just going to be more expensive."
"I know they're in a budget crunch this year and it's tough for people on both sides, but this is the one thing they need to do, to take care of our infrastructure," said Mr. Doldo, a former Jefferson County Legislature candidate.
On Friday afternoon, puddles of various sizes dotted the roadway, hiding the potholes beneath them. Driving over a portion of the road, marked by a "bump" sign, felt more like crossing a trough or creek bed than traveling on a city street. The city has identified Breen Avenue as in need of improvements for nearly a decade, although little has been done.
"The times are tough right now, but there are some advantages right now," Mr. Doldo said. "Some contractors may be struggling because of the economy, so they might want to bid low. The interest rates are also low, so there are some savings out there."
While Councilmen Joseph M. Butler Jr. and Jeffrey M. Smith have voiced support for the project, Councilwomen Roxanne M. Burns and Teresa R. Macaluso and Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham have said they need more time to consider it.
"Like a majority of the council, we understand infrastructure projects need to be done," the mayor said. "It's just the notion of spending $2 million on that project that doesn't settle well."
Mr. Graham said he is undecided about the project and will have to hear discussion at the meeting before he makes a decision. An ordinance to borrow money needs a four-fifths vote to pass.
"Obviously, there's a lot of chatter going on behind the scenes right now and a lot of lobbying," Mr. Graham said. "No one is against the street per se, but some people are quivering just at the thought of financing it. People are scared over the cost. It's just that simple."
The mayor said that if two council members vote against the ordinance before his turn, he also will vote against it.
"I'm really discouraged with the City Council right now. I thought we voted for some people who were going to really aggressively address these problems," said Thomas J. Bruno, president of the Italian-American Civic Association. "I hope I don't get driven out of town for saying that."
While the civic association is on Bellew Avenue, many of its members live in the neighborhood along Breen Avenue, Mr. Bruno said.
"That street is bad. I know all the other streets are bad, but they've been dancing around it for years now," Mr. Bruno said. "You're almost driving on someone's lawn so your car doesn't fall in the holes."
While potholes have formed on the street, trouble may be brewing under the surface, neighbors said.
Mr. Doldo said neighbors have complained of backed-up sewer laterals and flooded cellars.
Patrick A. Fontana, principal of Immaculate Heart Central High School, lives on the 100 block of Breen Avenue.
He recently paid a plumber about $350 to fix a plugged drain. The plumber, he said, found that the sewer lateral was damaged and will have to be repaired.
"The city workers were there and they're telling me there's a problem at the juncture of the line for my drain and the main below the street," Mr. Fontana said. "I know they have flags up there and they're going to dig it up and it's going to need to be repaired."
"I'm not an engineer, so I don't know what conditions all of the drains are in, but as you drive down the street, it appears it needs to be repaired," he said. "Whether it's now or later, they have to get it done, and if they wait longer it's just going to be more expensive."
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Watertown Dealership Fixing Recalled Toyotas
Watertown's Waite Toyota has the parts, the people and now the training to handle the Japanese car company's largest recall to date.Technicians are now fixing in earnest the faulty CTS-brand gas pedal that prompted a recall of about 2.3 million Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles bought in the U.S.
On Friday, Barry L. Waite, the dealership's owner, said he and two technicians attended a class earlier in the week taught by the car company on how to fix the pedal and floor mats.
The recall was announced Jan. 21 after Toyota said the gas pedal on eight models can wear and become stuck in the accelerated position. The dealership already has received a shipment of the metal shims that will be installed free of charge to remedy the faulty pedal.
A September recall also identified floor mats - a staple for some Northern New York drivers - that can become lodged under the pedal, causing it to stick. A shorter pedal is being installed in Prius and Camry models to prevent pedals from sticking on floor mats.
Mr. Waite said he has not received any complaints about faulty pedals. He has, however, identified 40 vehicles on the lot, or about three-fifths of his new-vehicle inventory, that will have to have the shim installed.
"We have not had one person see or experience this problem," Mr. Waite said. "This is something that happens over a long time, and we're talking years. If anyone is concerned that they think their vehicle has an issue, they can always call to set up an appointment."
The dealership owner said he plans to extend service hours on Saturdays to accommodate the demand he's expecting.
Mr. Waite said Toyota will send letters to owners of the affected vehicles that will inform them of the process they should take to have the CTS pedals fixed. Car owners should schedule an appointment for repairs after they've received the letter, Mr. Waite said.
"We've had quite a few calls, and most of the customers have been really understanding," he said. "This is a case were Toyota is being very proactive about the situation. Even if customers are not having any problems and they're concerned, they can always call and talk to me personally."
Mr. Waite said vehicles experiencing problems have first priority, followed by ones identified by Toyota that need the shim. When those customers are taken care of, he will fix the fleet sitting in the dealership's lot. A ban on the sale of affected models also has been lifted.
He said the dealership will not move the cars from the lot until the faulty mechanisms are fixed.
Car owners who have thick or loose floor mats in certain models identified by Toyota should remove them immediately, he said.
"This about us taking care of the customers first," he said.
Mr. Waite's family began selling Studebakers in 1929 and switched to Toyotas in the mid-1960s. He said he's still confident the brand attached to his surname can deliver a quality product.
"Oh definitely," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind."
Toyota owners who need to schedule a repair should block off a two- to three-hour slot from their day. The service department is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Appointments can be made by calling 788-6022.
On Friday, Barry L. Waite, the dealership's owner, said he and two technicians attended a class earlier in the week taught by the car company on how to fix the pedal and floor mats.
The recall was announced Jan. 21 after Toyota said the gas pedal on eight models can wear and become stuck in the accelerated position. The dealership already has received a shipment of the metal shims that will be installed free of charge to remedy the faulty pedal.
A September recall also identified floor mats - a staple for some Northern New York drivers - that can become lodged under the pedal, causing it to stick. A shorter pedal is being installed in Prius and Camry models to prevent pedals from sticking on floor mats.
Mr. Waite said he has not received any complaints about faulty pedals. He has, however, identified 40 vehicles on the lot, or about three-fifths of his new-vehicle inventory, that will have to have the shim installed.
"We have not had one person see or experience this problem," Mr. Waite said. "This is something that happens over a long time, and we're talking years. If anyone is concerned that they think their vehicle has an issue, they can always call to set up an appointment."
The dealership owner said he plans to extend service hours on Saturdays to accommodate the demand he's expecting.
Mr. Waite said Toyota will send letters to owners of the affected vehicles that will inform them of the process they should take to have the CTS pedals fixed. Car owners should schedule an appointment for repairs after they've received the letter, Mr. Waite said.
"We've had quite a few calls, and most of the customers have been really understanding," he said. "This is a case were Toyota is being very proactive about the situation. Even if customers are not having any problems and they're concerned, they can always call and talk to me personally."
Mr. Waite said vehicles experiencing problems have first priority, followed by ones identified by Toyota that need the shim. When those customers are taken care of, he will fix the fleet sitting in the dealership's lot. A ban on the sale of affected models also has been lifted.
He said the dealership will not move the cars from the lot until the faulty mechanisms are fixed.
Car owners who have thick or loose floor mats in certain models identified by Toyota should remove them immediately, he said.
"This about us taking care of the customers first," he said.
Mr. Waite's family began selling Studebakers in 1929 and switched to Toyotas in the mid-1960s. He said he's still confident the brand attached to his surname can deliver a quality product.
"Oh definitely," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind."
Toyota owners who need to schedule a repair should block off a two- to three-hour slot from their day. The service department is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Appointments can be made by calling 788-6022.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Woman Gets Loan From Town
RUTLAND CENTER -- For one town property owner, mortgage relief is coming by way of an unusual municipal benefactor.
The Rutland Town Council agreed Thursday night during a special meeting to lend $8,428.69 to Carolyn S. Moseley, Staplin Road, a move that will help the town go forward with the last phase of the Route 3 sewer project.
The money will be handed over to HSBC Bank N.A., which has issued liens against Ms. Moseley's property because she has not paid an unspecified amount toward her mortgage. The loan should be enough for the bank to release the liens, town attorney Timothy A. Farley said.
"We've been bent over a barrel with our backside exposed," Supervisor Gary D. Eddy said.
The town also will credit Ms. Moseley $2,500 for land it is purchasing from her toward the roughly $4,500 she owes the town for back taxes.
The town needs Ms. Moseley's land to site a pump station that will connect to an existing phase of the sewer project. Moving the station to someone else's land could cost as much as $25,000, Mr. Eddy said.
"I'm listening to the people who crunch our numbers, and this is what they're telling me," Mr. Eddy said.
"There is no one on this board that likes to have to make this decision."
Councilman Michael C. Gillette was the lone dissenting vote.
The supervisor called the situation "unique" and said the town will not make any similar loans to other residents. The loan charges 3 percent interest and must be paid back within 20 years.
Mr. Farley said that while he was aware that Ms. Moseley owed back taxes, he learned only within the past few weeks about the liens against the property.
"We're damned if we do this, and damned if we don't," Councilman Kenneth E. Gleason Jr. said.
The Route 3 sewer project connects the towns of Champion, Rutland and Pamelia and the village of Black River to a main owned by the Development Authority of the North Country.
The municipalities have received more than $27 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development for the project, which won the Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association in 1996.
The Rutland phase extends along portions of Perrigo, Staplin and Burnup roads, County Route 143 and the Taylor subdivision.
The council also agreed to pay Timothy J. Percy $2,000 for land it will need to site a pump station on land he owns along Burnup Road.
The Rutland Town Council agreed Thursday night during a special meeting to lend $8,428.69 to Carolyn S. Moseley, Staplin Road, a move that will help the town go forward with the last phase of the Route 3 sewer project.
The money will be handed over to HSBC Bank N.A., which has issued liens against Ms. Moseley's property because she has not paid an unspecified amount toward her mortgage. The loan should be enough for the bank to release the liens, town attorney Timothy A. Farley said.
"We've been bent over a barrel with our backside exposed," Supervisor Gary D. Eddy said.
The town also will credit Ms. Moseley $2,500 for land it is purchasing from her toward the roughly $4,500 she owes the town for back taxes.
The town needs Ms. Moseley's land to site a pump station that will connect to an existing phase of the sewer project. Moving the station to someone else's land could cost as much as $25,000, Mr. Eddy said.
"I'm listening to the people who crunch our numbers, and this is what they're telling me," Mr. Eddy said.
"There is no one on this board that likes to have to make this decision."
Councilman Michael C. Gillette was the lone dissenting vote.
The supervisor called the situation "unique" and said the town will not make any similar loans to other residents. The loan charges 3 percent interest and must be paid back within 20 years.
Mr. Farley said that while he was aware that Ms. Moseley owed back taxes, he learned only within the past few weeks about the liens against the property.
"We're damned if we do this, and damned if we don't," Councilman Kenneth E. Gleason Jr. said.
The Route 3 sewer project connects the towns of Champion, Rutland and Pamelia and the village of Black River to a main owned by the Development Authority of the North Country.
The municipalities have received more than $27 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development for the project, which won the Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association in 1996.
The Rutland phase extends along portions of Perrigo, Staplin and Burnup roads, County Route 143 and the Taylor subdivision.
The council also agreed to pay Timothy J. Percy $2,000 for land it will need to site a pump station on land he owns along Burnup Road.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Drilling Fluid Could Affect Black River
Environmental groups are warning Watertown officials that if the waste fluid the city is now treating from a hydraulic-fracturing mine isn't processed properly, it could harm the Black River and damage the city's sewage treatment facility.
"This might be the most well-studied water in the state right now," said Michael J. Sligar, Watertown sewage treatment plant operator.
Watertown is one of very few municipalities in New York treating the briny cocktail, as few governments are pursuing permits from the state because of the potentially harmful impacts of the treatment process, environmental groups and industry insiders said.
The danger, those sources said, is that the treatment process can overwhelm sewage plants, effectively shutting them down if too much "flowback fluid" is entered into the plant's system.
The salinity content of the discharged water can exceed federal limits, killing freshwater species near discharge points. In the city's case, that water is put into the Black River, which then flows into Lake Ontario.
'IT CAUSED A LOT OF ISSUES'
The "hydro-fracking" technique of gathering natural gas involves pumping large volumes of water, sand and chemicals into shale formations thousands of feet underground. The process fractures the shale, releasing natural gas into collection pipes. The water — laced with naturally occurring radioactive material, salt and other chemicals — is then pumped back to the surface. Well operators must either store the fluid in an underground well, haul it out of state for treatment or get the state Department of Environmental Conservation's approval to have it processed at an in-state sewage treatment facility.
"This is interesting because it caused a lot of issues and this is only 35,000 gallons," said Roger F. Downs, a conservation associate for the Sierra Club's Atlantic chapter. "Imagine what will happen when a company wants to treat a million gallons, because that is what is projected for someMarcellus (shale) operations."
Despite the high demand in New York for the service, the city is charging the well operators its standard rate of 3.5 cents per gallon for the service, a $1,125 bill for 35,000 gallons.
The state does not mandate that well operators reveal which chemicals they use in the hydro-fracking process, meaning it does not know the exact contents of what is being pumped into the ground.
"Most fracturing fluid components are not included as analytes in standard chemical scans of flowback samples that were provided to DEC, so little information is available to document whether and at what concentrations most fracturing chemicals occur in flowback water," the DEC wrote in a draft environmental impact statement it released in September.
The Watertown treatment plant has received permits to treat the initial 35,000 gallons and would need the state's approval to treat any more. The treatment process will take about five weeks to complete, Mr. Sligar said.
Gastem Inc., Quebec, which sent the flowback fluid to Watertown, drilled the Ross No. 1 mine in the town of Maryland, Otsego County. It has received permits from the state to drill five vertical wells at the site that tap into the Utica shale formation.
PENNSYLVANIA PROBLEMS
The hydro-fracking technique, which uses high volumes of water, is a relatively new activity in New York. Its development, however, in Pennsylvania and the subsequent flowback water created by the process have overwhelmed that state's municipal treatment plants in the past two years.
"You only have to look as far south as Pennsylvania to see what happens when things go wrong," said Katherine R. Nadeau, water and natural resources program associate for Environmental Advocates of New York.
Ms. Nadeau pointed out the problems Pennsylvania authorities are having with the high number of total dissolvable solids now being found in the Monongahela River because of shale drilling operations.
"Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, after the fact, is trying to put in rules and regulations for this type of wastewater," Ms. Nadeau said. "We cannot go the same route. We need to look at others' mistakes and look at how we're going to deal with the water and then not permitting this type of waste."
She added: "These plants can't take that much salt out of the water. Now we're talking about the desalination process. It's like drinking sea water. This doesn't really treat the fluid; it dilutes it."
Mr. Downs said that shale drilling eventually will overwhelm sewage treatment infrastructure in New York if DEC does not properly regulate the industry.
"The big deal is being able to deal with the total dissolved solids and chlorides before these things are then flushed back out into the Black River," he said.
DEC's environmental impact statement also focuses on the state's concern about relying on municipal plants to treat the fluid.
"Salts and dissolved solids may not be sufficiently treated by municipal biological treatment and/or other treatment technologies which are not designed to remove pollutants of this nature," it states.
Mr. Sligar said the plant's pretreatment program helps determine how the fluid will affect the digester's bacteria, and what the water is expected to contain when it is discharged into the river.
"Of the approximately 600 municipal wastewater treatment plants in the state, there are about 100 with pretreatment programs," Mr. Sligar said. "The EPA has passed some very specific regulations concerning these pretreatment requirements that will prohibit plants from accepting anything that will interfere with the anaerobic processes or cause undue safety hazard to the plant."
DIFFERING SHIPMENTS
ProPublica, a nonprofit for-hire journalism group, contacted 109 of the 135 plants in New York listed by DEC as having the ability to treat the fluid and found that operators from only three have any interest in accepting it.
Of the dozen out-of-state plants listed by DEC, nine have reached their capacity and will not take any more flowback fluid, ProPublica reported.
Individual treatment plant operators also should be wary that each shipment of hydro-fracking fluid can differ, depending on the company and depth and location of the wells. Because treatment plants are designed to process natural waste, the chemicals could slow or stop the bacteria from working correctly, Ms. Nadeau said.
"If you start messing with the basic makeup, this is going to mess with the bacterial process and could potentially shut the process down," she said.
Mr. Sligar and a pair of truck drivers can attest to the inconsistent makeup of fluid used in the process.
In September, Gastem Inc. used about 40,000 gallons to drill the Ross No. 1 well. Because the company was not actually using the hydro-fracking process, the fluid was not expected to be as potent and could be treated at the Watertown facility without the oversight being used for flowback fluid, Mr. Sligar said.
The first two tankers arrived with no issues, but a third carried solution more potent than expected.
"The third one came in heavy," he said. "There were more solids than we had expected. So I called them and said, 'Hey, we need to do more testing before we take any more.'"
When two more tankers arrived the following day, Mr. Sligar sent them back to Otsego County, a roughly 170-mile drive.
"I told them that you now know where we are, so you shouldn't get lost on your way up again," Mr. Sligar said.
While the plant had the ability to accept the water, Mr. Sligar wanted confirmation of that fact. After the heavier batch was tested, the tankers were driven back to Watertown to unload the fluid.
The city defended its effort, and its lean financial payoff for the risk.
"I would have had the same number of people working here if that water had come in or not," Mr. Sligar said. "We're taking 35,000 gallons versus the 12 million we treat here daily."
The plant is rated to treat as much as 16 million gallons each day.
Any additional testing and analysis performed for the state to determine whether the plant could handle the fluid also was charged to Gastem.
"The state has ordered 35 days of extraordinary testing once the fluid was received and all of that is being billed to the well driller," Mr. Sligar said. "This is not a profit-making organization; it's a service-rendering organization."
NEW FOR NEW YORK
City Council members, however, have said they will charge more for the service if the city continues to treat the fluid. New York state will grant permits for hydro-fracking operations only if the operator can show it has a place to either treat the fluid or store it underground.
DEC spokesman Yancy Roy said that while hydro-fracturing has been around for decades, the large amounts of wastewater it creates, combined with its use in horizontal wells, is new in New York.
Mr. Roy did not know how many vertical-well operators that use the hydro-fracturing process send their flowback water to municipal treatment plants.
Correspondence obtained by the Sierra Club between DEC and Gastem indicates the company shopped the fluid to a number of other treatment plants, including Auburn, Cortland and Norwich, before settling on Watertown.
"I cannot issue a drilling permit until an approved treatment facility capable of receiving and disposing of the spent frack fluids is identified," Jack K. Dahl, DEC director of the bureau of oil and gas regulation, wrote in an October 2008 e-mail to the natural gas company.
Other e-mails between DEC and Gastem show that the state does not have a firm process to approve permits.
"Sorry this took a while — we're still getting a feel for these things," Brian Baker, section chief for the DEC Bureau of Water Permits, wrote in a May 29 e-mail.
Orville R. Cole is the president of Gastem, which is partnering with Covalent Energy Corp., Arlington, Va., to develop the Ross No. 1 well. Mr. Cole said his Quebec-based company successfully drilled a 4,950-foot vertical well at the site in September into a Utica shale formation. The well has since provided "significant gas kicks at target intervals."
The Gastem well is a vertical well that uses far less water than horizontal wells. Vertical wells also produce far less natural gas.
"The fact is that we reviewed a number of facilities that have pretreatment programs, which is actually a very limited number," Mr. Cole said. "Then we came to the Watertown facility and we were happy with the documentation in terms of what they were managing and disposing of."
Mr. Cole said his company would haul more flowback fluid to Watertown if Gastem can develop another well. His preference, though, would be to find plants closer to the site that will accept the fluid.
'AWESOME' PROCESS
The Ross No. 1 well is on 1,923-foot Crumhorn Mountain, close to a Boy Scouts of America camp, Mr. Downs said.
"It's a fantastic natural area and it's very picturesque," he said. "It's probably the most inappropriate area to put a well."
Gastem'sofficials allowed Mr. Downs to attend the initial hydro-fracking operation Nov. 11.
"It's impressive. There seemed to be a crew of 50 working with the fracking operation. There were dozens of trucks with a number of hoses and large equipment. The diesel smoke was very thick and there was a significant amount of noise," he said.
Mr. Downs described the process as "a pretty awesome thing to see" and said it took a few hours to complete before workers packed up and left.
While he is critical of the location, Mr. Downs said Gastem has been very open about its work.
"Basically, I would say that this company has bent over backwards to follow the DEC's new permitting guidelines," he said. "I think they've been very good about it."
Mr. Sligar is expected to make a presentation about the treatment process to the Watertown City Council at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
"This might be the most well-studied water in the state right now," said Michael J. Sligar, Watertown sewage treatment plant operator.
Watertown is one of very few municipalities in New York treating the briny cocktail, as few governments are pursuing permits from the state because of the potentially harmful impacts of the treatment process, environmental groups and industry insiders said.
The danger, those sources said, is that the treatment process can overwhelm sewage plants, effectively shutting them down if too much "flowback fluid" is entered into the plant's system.
The salinity content of the discharged water can exceed federal limits, killing freshwater species near discharge points. In the city's case, that water is put into the Black River, which then flows into Lake Ontario.
'IT CAUSED A LOT OF ISSUES'
The "hydro-fracking" technique of gathering natural gas involves pumping large volumes of water, sand and chemicals into shale formations thousands of feet underground. The process fractures the shale, releasing natural gas into collection pipes. The water — laced with naturally occurring radioactive material, salt and other chemicals — is then pumped back to the surface. Well operators must either store the fluid in an underground well, haul it out of state for treatment or get the state Department of Environmental Conservation's approval to have it processed at an in-state sewage treatment facility.
"This is interesting because it caused a lot of issues and this is only 35,000 gallons," said Roger F. Downs, a conservation associate for the Sierra Club's Atlantic chapter. "Imagine what will happen when a company wants to treat a million gallons, because that is what is projected for someMarcellus (shale) operations."
Despite the high demand in New York for the service, the city is charging the well operators its standard rate of 3.5 cents per gallon for the service, a $1,125 bill for 35,000 gallons.
The state does not mandate that well operators reveal which chemicals they use in the hydro-fracking process, meaning it does not know the exact contents of what is being pumped into the ground.
"Most fracturing fluid components are not included as analytes in standard chemical scans of flowback samples that were provided to DEC, so little information is available to document whether and at what concentrations most fracturing chemicals occur in flowback water," the DEC wrote in a draft environmental impact statement it released in September.
The Watertown treatment plant has received permits to treat the initial 35,000 gallons and would need the state's approval to treat any more. The treatment process will take about five weeks to complete, Mr. Sligar said.
Gastem Inc., Quebec, which sent the flowback fluid to Watertown, drilled the Ross No. 1 mine in the town of Maryland, Otsego County. It has received permits from the state to drill five vertical wells at the site that tap into the Utica shale formation.
PENNSYLVANIA PROBLEMS
The hydro-fracking technique, which uses high volumes of water, is a relatively new activity in New York. Its development, however, in Pennsylvania and the subsequent flowback water created by the process have overwhelmed that state's municipal treatment plants in the past two years.
"You only have to look as far south as Pennsylvania to see what happens when things go wrong," said Katherine R. Nadeau, water and natural resources program associate for Environmental Advocates of New York.
Ms. Nadeau pointed out the problems Pennsylvania authorities are having with the high number of total dissolvable solids now being found in the Monongahela River because of shale drilling operations.
"Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, after the fact, is trying to put in rules and regulations for this type of wastewater," Ms. Nadeau said. "We cannot go the same route. We need to look at others' mistakes and look at how we're going to deal with the water and then not permitting this type of waste."
She added: "These plants can't take that much salt out of the water. Now we're talking about the desalination process. It's like drinking sea water. This doesn't really treat the fluid; it dilutes it."
Mr. Downs said that shale drilling eventually will overwhelm sewage treatment infrastructure in New York if DEC does not properly regulate the industry.
"The big deal is being able to deal with the total dissolved solids and chlorides before these things are then flushed back out into the Black River," he said.
DEC's environmental impact statement also focuses on the state's concern about relying on municipal plants to treat the fluid.
"Salts and dissolved solids may not be sufficiently treated by municipal biological treatment and/or other treatment technologies which are not designed to remove pollutants of this nature," it states.
Mr. Sligar said the plant's pretreatment program helps determine how the fluid will affect the digester's bacteria, and what the water is expected to contain when it is discharged into the river.
"Of the approximately 600 municipal wastewater treatment plants in the state, there are about 100 with pretreatment programs," Mr. Sligar said. "The EPA has passed some very specific regulations concerning these pretreatment requirements that will prohibit plants from accepting anything that will interfere with the anaerobic processes or cause undue safety hazard to the plant."
DIFFERING SHIPMENTS
ProPublica, a nonprofit for-hire journalism group, contacted 109 of the 135 plants in New York listed by DEC as having the ability to treat the fluid and found that operators from only three have any interest in accepting it.
Of the dozen out-of-state plants listed by DEC, nine have reached their capacity and will not take any more flowback fluid, ProPublica reported.
Individual treatment plant operators also should be wary that each shipment of hydro-fracking fluid can differ, depending on the company and depth and location of the wells. Because treatment plants are designed to process natural waste, the chemicals could slow or stop the bacteria from working correctly, Ms. Nadeau said.
"If you start messing with the basic makeup, this is going to mess with the bacterial process and could potentially shut the process down," she said.
Mr. Sligar and a pair of truck drivers can attest to the inconsistent makeup of fluid used in the process.
In September, Gastem Inc. used about 40,000 gallons to drill the Ross No. 1 well. Because the company was not actually using the hydro-fracking process, the fluid was not expected to be as potent and could be treated at the Watertown facility without the oversight being used for flowback fluid, Mr. Sligar said.
The first two tankers arrived with no issues, but a third carried solution more potent than expected.
"The third one came in heavy," he said. "There were more solids than we had expected. So I called them and said, 'Hey, we need to do more testing before we take any more.'"
When two more tankers arrived the following day, Mr. Sligar sent them back to Otsego County, a roughly 170-mile drive.
"I told them that you now know where we are, so you shouldn't get lost on your way up again," Mr. Sligar said.
While the plant had the ability to accept the water, Mr. Sligar wanted confirmation of that fact. After the heavier batch was tested, the tankers were driven back to Watertown to unload the fluid.
The city defended its effort, and its lean financial payoff for the risk.
"I would have had the same number of people working here if that water had come in or not," Mr. Sligar said. "We're taking 35,000 gallons versus the 12 million we treat here daily."
The plant is rated to treat as much as 16 million gallons each day.
Any additional testing and analysis performed for the state to determine whether the plant could handle the fluid also was charged to Gastem.
"The state has ordered 35 days of extraordinary testing once the fluid was received and all of that is being billed to the well driller," Mr. Sligar said. "This is not a profit-making organization; it's a service-rendering organization."
NEW FOR NEW YORK
City Council members, however, have said they will charge more for the service if the city continues to treat the fluid. New York state will grant permits for hydro-fracking operations only if the operator can show it has a place to either treat the fluid or store it underground.
DEC spokesman Yancy Roy said that while hydro-fracturing has been around for decades, the large amounts of wastewater it creates, combined with its use in horizontal wells, is new in New York.
Mr. Roy did not know how many vertical-well operators that use the hydro-fracturing process send their flowback water to municipal treatment plants.
Correspondence obtained by the Sierra Club between DEC and Gastem indicates the company shopped the fluid to a number of other treatment plants, including Auburn, Cortland and Norwich, before settling on Watertown.
"I cannot issue a drilling permit until an approved treatment facility capable of receiving and disposing of the spent frack fluids is identified," Jack K. Dahl, DEC director of the bureau of oil and gas regulation, wrote in an October 2008 e-mail to the natural gas company.
Other e-mails between DEC and Gastem show that the state does not have a firm process to approve permits.
"Sorry this took a while — we're still getting a feel for these things," Brian Baker, section chief for the DEC Bureau of Water Permits, wrote in a May 29 e-mail.
Orville R. Cole is the president of Gastem, which is partnering with Covalent Energy Corp., Arlington, Va., to develop the Ross No. 1 well. Mr. Cole said his Quebec-based company successfully drilled a 4,950-foot vertical well at the site in September into a Utica shale formation. The well has since provided "significant gas kicks at target intervals."
The Gastem well is a vertical well that uses far less water than horizontal wells. Vertical wells also produce far less natural gas.
"The fact is that we reviewed a number of facilities that have pretreatment programs, which is actually a very limited number," Mr. Cole said. "Then we came to the Watertown facility and we were happy with the documentation in terms of what they were managing and disposing of."
Mr. Cole said his company would haul more flowback fluid to Watertown if Gastem can develop another well. His preference, though, would be to find plants closer to the site that will accept the fluid.
'AWESOME' PROCESS
The Ross No. 1 well is on 1,923-foot Crumhorn Mountain, close to a Boy Scouts of America camp, Mr. Downs said.
"It's a fantastic natural area and it's very picturesque," he said. "It's probably the most inappropriate area to put a well."
Gastem'sofficials allowed Mr. Downs to attend the initial hydro-fracking operation Nov. 11.
"It's impressive. There seemed to be a crew of 50 working with the fracking operation. There were dozens of trucks with a number of hoses and large equipment. The diesel smoke was very thick and there was a significant amount of noise," he said.
Mr. Downs described the process as "a pretty awesome thing to see" and said it took a few hours to complete before workers packed up and left.
While he is critical of the location, Mr. Downs said Gastem has been very open about its work.
"Basically, I would say that this company has bent over backwards to follow the DEC's new permitting guidelines," he said. "I think they've been very good about it."
Mr. Sligar is expected to make a presentation about the treatment process to the Watertown City Council at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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