IJC and US Army Corps of Engineers to Testify at Senate Flood Hearing

State Senators Patty Ritchie and Tom O’Mara along with Assemblymen Will Barclay and Bob Oaks are pleased to announce that representatives from the International Joint Commission, the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board and the US Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to testify at Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River flood hearing set for this afternoon.

This important hearing will be an opportunity to examine all of the factors that led to this spring and summer’s record high water levels and the devastating flooding that ensued, including the unusual weather—snow run-off and record rains—and the installation of the water-flow management plan known as Plan 2014.

The hearing will also feature numerous other testimonies, ranging from homeowners and business owners still trying to pick up the pieces, to tourism officials and state agencies.

The hearing is set to begin at 4pm today in the auditorium at Mexico High School, located at 3338 Main Street in Mexico (Oswego County).

State Senators Patty Ritchie and Tom O’Mara along with Assemblymen Will Barclay and Bob Oaks will be available for interviews during the hearing’s scheduled 4:55pm intermission.

The list of witnesses set to testify is as follows:

Stephen Durrett, Alternate Co-Chair, International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board

Bill Werick, Technical Advisor, International Joint Commission

Lieutenant Colonel Adam Czekanski, Commander – Buffalo District, US Army Corps of Engineers

Craig Forgette, Chief of Planning Management Team - Buffalo District, US Army Corps of Engineers

Kenneth Lynch, Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Chris Leo, Acting President, New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Frank Sciremammano, Jr, PhD, PE, F-E-S Associates, Professor (retired) of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board

Mary Austerman, New York Sea Grant, Wayne County Cooperative Extension

Dale Currier, Director, Oswego County Emergency Management

Gary DeYoung, Director of Tourism, 1000 Islands International Tourism Council

Scott Aubertine, Supervisor, Town of Lyme

Residential Property and Business Owner Panel:

Dr. Daniel Barletta, Riparian, Resident of Greece, N.Y. and Member Grand View Beach Association

Cathleen Goodnough, Green Point Marina

Wendy and Mark Lalonde, Hutchinson’s Boat Works

Ron Thomson, Uncle Sam Boat Tours