Advocacy and Legal Activities
The Coalition has met with nearly every elected official along the lakeshore at the state, federal and county level multiple times in the past 11 months to urge action against Plan 2014 and seek financial relief for property owners and small businesses. We were successful in getting small businesses and secondary homeowners included in damages funding from NYS.
The Coalition relentlessly pushed the IJC and elected officials to lower the lake level throughout the fall of 2019 and Spring of 2020. Our efforts resulted in an unprecedented postponement of the shipping season and increased outflows in Spring of 2020, successfully reducing the chances of severe flooding again this year.
The Coalition successfully advocated for a government investigation into the IJC Plan 2014. The U.S. Government Accountability Office opened an investigation in August, and The Coalition has met with the GAO investigators and given them lots of information about the failings of Plan 2014. The GAO report is expected this spring.
The Coalition successfully advocated for a NYS lawsuit against the IJC. In December, The Coalition met with the legal team at the NYS Attorney General’s office in Albany and offered our advice and expertise. The NYS lawsuit is working its way through the courts.
The Coalition successfully advocated to introduce legislation revoking the immunity of the IJC. Legislation was recently introduced by Congressmen Katko and Brindisi and is pending.
Successfully advocated for a request to the House Appropriations committee to prohibit IJC funding without establishing a hard shoreline limit at 247.3 (proposed S-limit).
The Coalition has obtained two legal opinions on strategies (injunctive relief and a taking claim) and a lobbying strategy. Going forward with either strategy requires a minimum of $500,000 in legal and lobbying fees and we need your help to raise those funds now.
The Coalition successfully advocated for more lakeshore community representation on the Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Board of Control. Town Supervisor Bill Reilich of Greece, NY was appointed to the River Board in August of 2019.
The Coalition has established strategic alliances with other US and Canadian advocacy groups along the lakeshore, river, and other Great Lakes. These include Save our Sodus, United Shoreline Ontario (Canada), Georgian Bay Great Lakes Foundation, Restore our Water International, Great Lakes Coalition and others. These other Great Lakes organizations will help us lobby US and Canadian officials to reduce high water levels on all of the Great Lakes which contribute to our flooding.
The Coalition has established a strong relationship with one of the nation’s top law firms in Washington DC for lobbying and legal action (Steptoe & Johnson, LLP).