🚀 go-pugleaf

Desparately seeking help...Everyone I speak to is oriented toward the side
of
the builders of golf courses.
I live in Croton-on-Hudson, in scenic Hudson Valley, New York.  This is a
small village and, as a member of the village's Water Control Commission,
we
are in overwhelm with the golf course under construction.  Early winter
95-95, blasting and excessive clearcutting of trees resulted in
devistating
damage to wetlands down hill and down stream of the course, which rests on
the top of the village's old mountain-top.
This run-off problem has continued to this date. 
In addition to affecting the golf course's wetlands and private
properties,
obscuring an interstate road with unbelievable amounts of mud, there was
extreme silting damage to the wetlands located on an Audubon sanctuary an
a
privately held arboretum, as well as much of the silting ending up in the
recovering Hudson River.
A year has gone by and the uneffectively mitigated damage is pervasive.  
We are of course concerned about the wetlands damage.  (It was so bad that
at
one point the Army Corps of Engineers issued a stop work order.)  Not only
the obvious silting problems and necessity to replant and potentially
redefine the nature of some of the sites, but there is also concern about
a
high amount of iron which has been deposited in these damaged sites which
was
a result of the excessive blasting.  (anybody know if this is harmful the
the
animal -- especially bird -- life?  -- can't find anything about wetlands
impact, although excessive iron is harmful to humans)  The iron levels are
so
high that there is even a suspended variety of iron which is forming shiny
film on the still water and looks much like a petroleum slick.
Because they have ignored the site plan, and created huge changes which
clearly are not compatible with water quality basins and retention ponds,
good faith no longer exists.  Clearly the feeling is that that once they
open
(and they have made gestures that they intend to open Mid-May, REGARDLESS
of
whether they have amended site plan approval), there will be no further
mitigation.  (We only received an amended site plan on 4/10.
Our village is made up of volunteers sitting on our Village, Planning, and
WCC.  These individuals give easily of their time, but lack the resources
of
an organization such as the one financing this private golf course.
Additionally, most research relating to this is funded by organizations
related to golf courses and is therefore of limited value.  (For example,
I
can locate no independent research on the ferti-gation method of applying
fertilizers, pesticides, etc., through a centralized piping system.--Some
of
these dispersion heads are only 20 feet from non-flood level wetlands!!!)
The village does have a great person working as the consultant, but is
clearly out-gunned, so if you have anything to share, please e-mail
address.

Our time is running out and any help would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS!