A local group called Save Cheat Lake has filed a 39-page complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, alleging Lake Lynn Generation has been “grossly and willfully negligent in violation of federal law,” and has introduced “ a potentially deadly health risk” at the park.

The group is asking FERC to investigate and impose the maximum total fine of $257,562 per day for the alleged violations.

Lake Lynn Generation is a subsidiary of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, which is a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, which is publicly owned. Throughout its complaint, Save Cheat Lake references the hydroelectric operation’s foreign ownership, often in dramatic terms.

“Therefore—even though Canada owns our waters, dam and trail/park—we are entitled to recreation on our lands and our waters, under U.S. federal law,” the group says. “Representatives of this $62 billion Canadian company act with superiority. But the people, united together, hold the real power.”

The group addresses its complaint to Secretary Debbie-Anne Reese, and later adds Land Resources Chief Alicia Jackson. The document contains pages of photos intended to illustrate its points.

The health risk it raises concerns the water dispenser Lake Lynn installed outside the park security office near the playground to provide drinking water to park visitors while the water supply is shut off.

Save Cheat Lake tells FERC that the water dispenser is for indoor use only, not to be placed in direct sunlight, and includes photos from the operator’s manual to prove it.

The group extrapolates from the warning that keeping the dispenser outside is unsafe to human health. “We are concerned someone will obtain a Legionella bacterial infection from the negligent misuse of this machine. The outdoor high temperature fluctuations and airborne contaminants cause mold growth which is why you have never seen an office cooler used outside a building in this ridiculous manner.”

It continues, “Somewhat good news is that Canada’s Eagle Creek Renewable Energy LLC was additionally too careless to put out cups, preventing people without their own bottles from drinking the potential mold contaminants. However, the bad news is that a lot of people have indeed consumed the water. FERC must immediately intervene and launch a full investigation into the water situation.”

Maintenance issues

Save Cheat Lake then shifts its attention to an array of maintenance issues at the park.

The group says Lake Lynn finally cleared the beach on Aug. 18, months after the park opened for the season, and only after FERC wrote to Lake Lynn on Aug. 7 (that letter was reported in The Dominion Post) about maintenance complaints.

“The kids had no place to play this summer. People had no place to actually use the ‘beach’ because the beach was covered with broken glass, plastics, flood water-soaked driftwood, slime, large trees in the water, and large fallen trees on the beach.”

Save Cheat Lake also complains about the lights – long neglected, it says, and now covered in colored plastic wrapping. “The red and blue plastic was just placed on there after FERC sent the August 7, 2025 crackdown letter; for the past year, it had a sharp metal and broken glass, without any intervention. They did not care.”

The lack of functional lights contributes to the vandalism that Lake Lynn has complained to FERC about, the group says. Prior to the company assuming ownership, they all worked and vandalism wasn’t an issue.

Save Cheat Lake also complains about the trail collapsing in several places. It attributes this to Lake Lynn’s failure to maintain the drainage ditch.

And while Lake Lynn said in its recent response letter to FERC (reported in The Dominion Post) that it promptly removes fallen trees, the company didn’t remove trees knocked down in an April storm until after FERC sent its August letter.

Poorly maintained interpretative displays, failure to paint bare wood and paint peeling after it was poorly done, a rutted parking lot and lack of security at the dam facility are also detailed in the complaint.

Referencing the facility’s previous owner, Save Cheat Lake says, “First Energy of course took great care of the dam and park during their tenure; we miss them.”

Lake Lynn’s proposed entry fee also gets some notice. “The law gives our Canadian owner the freedom to force a $10 fee upon a mom to walk her baby on the trail around the lake. Some of us will pay it. And we will also start a fund for the vulnerable to regain access to their park.”

Om the matter of the daily fine, Save Cheat Lake points out that FERC can also impose fines up to $28,618 for each day that a dam licensee violates its recreation plans. The $257,562 per day fine it proposes takes into account its full list of allegations.

“Madam Secretary, the Licensee is recklessly dangerous and as illustrated time after time, willfully negligent in serious violation of federal law,” it says. “Licensee has played this game for years and it’s time to change our respective approaches, because we cannot do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.”

Save Cheat Lake is also calling on FERC to initiate a license modification for the hydroelectric operation and to host a public meeting about the issues. “Communicating via FERC submissions is not the best way to talk to one another.”