Who is the Cayuga Lake Defense Fund?

The Cayuga Lake Defense Fund (CLDF) is a member-supported citizen's organization dedicated to the improvement of Cayuga Lake and its tributaries. CLDF actively monitors water quality issues and public policy decisions that affect the Cayuga Lake watershed.

By accumulating local, state and federal government information and consulting with legal, environmental and resource experts, the CLDF engages in educational, advocacy, lobbying and litigation efforts designed to preserve and improve public waters.

Why is the CLDF opposed to Lake Source Cooling?

CLDF is opposed to Cornell's proposed Lake Source Cooling (LSC) project because:
  1. there is abundant scientific evidence that it would worsen Cayuga Lake's water, which already fails to meet water quality standards, and
  2. because Cornell has alternatives to LSC which are environmentally sound, would not harm Cayuga Lake, but have not been adequately explored as required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

How does the CLDF intend to stop Lake Source Cooling?

CLDF's strategy is to have the project terminated by:

  1. proper enforcement of existing environmental law, or
  2. rejection of the project by responsible public officials, or
  3. rejection of the project through public awareness and political pressure.
We intend to accomplish the above by continuing to:

  1. challenge LSC on a legal basis,
  2. educate the public regarding the dangers and weaknesses of LSC, and the availability of superior alternatives,
  3. lobby for support for our cause from other civic and environmental groups and agencies, and
  4. press for responsible action from our elected officials, and from Cornell itself.

What can you do?

You can join the Cayuga Lake Defense Fund by volunteering or making a tax-deductible contribution to sustain ongoing public education and legal efforts (see Legal Challenges to Lake Source Cooling).

Also, call or write your environmental agencies, your elected representatives, your newspapers, your radio stations, your TV stations, and, of course, Cornell. Let them know the public wants a cleaner Cayuga Lake and does not want Lake Source Cooling.

Here are more details on how to help.

Send tax-deductible contributions to:

Cayuga Lake Defense Fund (or CLDF)
PO Box 294
Ithaca, NY 14851

Call: (607) 275-9054 or 272-7914 or email info@cldf.org

CLDF 1998