Olean reviews DEC consent order on sewer bypasses; Seneca Nation and residents demand immediate fixes

City of Olean staff briefed the Common Council on March 11 about a Department of Environmental Conservation order of consent that governs the city's wastewater discharges and inflow-and-infiltration (I&I) problems, and requested up to $50,000 for an engineering consultant to evaluate three lift stations.

Why it matters: residents and leaders of the Seneca Nation told the council at length during public comment that repeated discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater into the Allegheny River are a public-health and environmental threat downstream. Commenters urged the city to seek immediate financing and interim operational measures rather than rely on a multi‑decade compliance timetable.

City presentation and next steps A city presenter provided background on the DEC order and said the consent order remains in effect through 2042. The presenter described I&I as illegal sump or yard drains and groundwater entering sewer pipes through cracked joints; he said the city has previously invested in repairs and has upgraded several lift stations, including Hoop Street, Adams Street, South Fourth Street and Martha Avenue with new pumps and emergency power. The presenter said the DEC introduced the city to the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at Syracuse for technical assistance and funding evaluation, and said meetings with DEC and EFC are scheduled to continue.

Council-level requests and discussion The presenter asked the Common Council to authorize “up to $50,000” to hire an engineering consultant to evaluate the Adams Street, Martha Avenue and South Fourth Street lift stations for capacity and to identify measures to eliminate bypasses. Alderman Benyon (pronunciation/alternate spellings in the record) pressed that future planning should address catch basins that are connected improperly to the sanitary system. Council members asked whether the $50,000 would be sufficient; the presenter said it would provide an initial evaluation and help the city pursue grant funding.

Public comment from the Seneca Nation and residents Dozens of people, including elected Seneca Nation counselors and Salamanca officials, used the meeting's public-comment period to press for immediate action. Tina Abrams, identified in the record as a tribal counselor with the Seneca Nation of Indians, read a council resolution and said, “You gotta stop polluting in our river. We need to protect mother earth. Fix the wastewater system. Water is life.”

Clinton F. Hew, also identified as a Seneca Nation counselor, read a letter from Jay Conrad Seneca, president of the Seneca Nation, and urged a faster timetable and stronger measures. Hew read a quotation attributed to the mayor in an earlier statement and then read the letter's conclusion: “Protecting the public health of Olean citizens by shifting dangerous waste produced in Olean downstream to other communities such as the Seneca Nation is unconscionable and unacceptable. This warped mindset and discharge activity must end.”

Commenters from Salamanca and Cattaraugus County said the discharges have been recurring for years, raised concerns about pathogens and impacts to fish, mussels and the hellbender salamander, and urged the city to pursue bonds, grants and other financing tools now rather than over decades. Several speakers recommended immediate interim operational steps such as trucking wastewater during high‑flow events or building containment/tankage to hold excess flows until storms pass.

What the record does and does not show The presenter described past investments and estimated bypasses for two ten‑year periods, but the numerical totals cited in the meeting transcript were unclear; the record identifies lift‑station upgrades and ongoing meetings with DEC and the EFC but does not show a formal council vote authorizing the consultant contract at this committee meeting. The presenter explicitly requested council authorization “up to $50,000”; the transcript records the request but no final council action on that authorization in committee.

Where this goes next City staff said they will continue discussions with DEC and the EFC. The mayor also noted he received a letter from Seneca Nation leadership requesting a meeting; staff said they would arrange that meeting. Public commenters said they will follow up and expect a rapid timetable and a task force or similar body to coordinate funding, technical work and interim protections for downstream communities.

Ending The committee did not adopt a final authorization for the consultant at this meeting; the city indicated it will pursue technical assistance from the EFC and meet with Seneca Nation representatives. Several residents said they will return to future council meetings until they see concrete, time‑bound action.