Sewage Holding Tanks to be Used in Schoharie County

SCHOHARIE COUNTY — Schoharie County is moving forward with the use of holding tanks to handle human waste in certain situations, county Health Department Director Dr. Nicole Blanchard reported at a Sept. 24 joint meeting of the county Board of Health and some county supervisors.

"We're real excited about this program," said Blanchard of the use of the tanks, which was previously approved by the Board of Supervisors. Their use is more advantageous and sanitary in situations like temporary hunting camps or cabins, or homes very close to lakes where a complete septic system would not be preferred, she added.

"It's a rather common thing happening in other counties," continued Blanchard, who added one of the conditions for the use of holding tanks is an agreement with a contractor who would empty them on a regular basis.

"This came to me initially," said county Supervisor Donald Airey of Blenheim. "It was from people at a hunting cabin who were basically using a bucket and throwing it into the woods nearby and they didn't want to do that anymore."

Others at the meeting mentioned it's typical to just "dig a hole" in such situations and so holding tanks represent an improvement.

"Throwing a bucket into the woods is not good," Supervisor Earlin Rosa of Seward said. "This is the lesser of evils."

In other county health department news from the Sept. 24 meeting, a department official reported there have been so far no cases of Avian Flu in New York State but cases elsewhere of the flu going from wild birds into cows, and farm workers then getting it from cow's milk.

"It has potential to be a bigger spread," the official said. "It's definitely eliminated through pasteurization."

Also, it was announced at the meeting that Health Department Medical Director Dr. Susan Emerson is resigning effective at the end of the year. Blanchard said after the meeting that she and other department officials are looking for Emerson's replacement. During the meeting, Emerson expressed gratitude for being able to serve the county and its residents.

Blanchard described the parting as amicable. "We've decided to take a different route with the department," she said. "Dr. Emerson's skill set will be better served elsewhere. It was just a difference of opinion on public health."