Representative Louise M. Slaughter

Ranking Member, House Committee on Rules

Representing New York 's 28^th District

PRESS RELEASE

Slaughter Announces Upcoming Public Meetings with Coast Guard

Proposed Live-Fire Ranges in Lake Ontario Will Be Discussed

Washington , DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, is pleased to announce that the Ninth Coast Guard District will be holding a public meeting in Rochester on October 30th to discuss its plan to create a permanent safety zone in Lake Ontario . The zone will serve as a live shooting range for Guard training purposes.

"I asked the Coast Guard to conduct this public meeting because there are many unanswered questions about what this plan will mean for our lake and our region," Rep. Slaughter said. "Western New York residents are worried that recreational activities like boating and fishing could be impacted, and we need to make sure those concerns are heard and addressed before this plan goes forward."

The Coast Guard elected to have one public event on the subject in Western New York, and selected Rochester as the site for this regional meeting.

Rep. Slaughter met with Thad Allen, Commander of the Coast Guard, on September 12th and asked him to hold a public meeting on the plan in New York . Prior to that, the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, which Rep. Slaughter co-chairs, had also urged public meetings to take place on the issue.

Concerns with the plan have been raised by western New York citizens. The current safety zone being proposed intersects areas commonly used by local sailboaters.

The October 30th meeting will be held between 5:30 pm to 8 pm. An open-house will take place prior to its start from 4 to 5:30 pm, during which Coast Guard officials will answer questions from the public and provide further detail on the plan.

The specific location of the meeting will be made public as soon as it has been determined. Further information on the proposal and instructions on how the public can best comment on it can be found at the following Coast Guard website: www.uscgd9safetyzones.com.