Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the Lake Ontario shoreline community of Wilson on Thursday to call on President Donald Trump to replace appointees on the International Joint Commission with "people who know the Great Lakes."
"I believe the causes and the handling of the height of the lake is something that should be studied, and should be learned from so this doesn't happen again," Cuomo said.
Western New York experienced record rainfalls this past spring. However, is widely believed that the International Joint Commission's "Plan 2014" contributed to the record levels on Lake Ontario, which have caused significant erosion along the shoreline. Many businesses and home owners face tens of thousands of dollars in damage or lost business because the water has flooded their properties.
The IJC came up with Plan 2014 to manage the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River water levels and flows, while balancing the environment and the economy.
Cuomo wants President Trump to replace appointees of the IJC with people who "know what what they're talking about."
"There are three federal appointees, one is vacant, one is from the great state of Montana. Montana is a beautiful state, but what do you know about the Great Lakes living in Montana, I'm not really sure," Cuomo said.
Cuomo was presumably taking a jab at IJC Commissioner Rich Moy. According to Moy's biography, Moy was a Senior Fellow at the Center of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Montana.
In addition, Cuomo signed legislation to immediately launch a $55 million Lake Ontario relief program for homeowners, business owners, and municipalities.
The program provides up to $50,000 in reimbursements for homeowners for damage, $50,000 for reimburse small businesses, and $1 million for municipalities.
"If the water comes to this height again, let's make sure it doesn't do this amount of damage again," Cuomo said.
