A coal-ash landfill in Tompkins County is contaminating Cayuga Lake, according to a new report by three national environmental organizations.

Cayuga Lake is one of the Finger Lakes.Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice and Sierra Club concluded that toxic chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium and selenium are leaching into the lake from the AES Cayuga plant. The facility burns coal to make energy.

The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that the groups based their conclusions largely on state Department of Environmental Conservation data, although DEC raised some concerns about the report's data quality. 

The report says the chemicals present a danger to public health. It notes the presence of homes and farms near the AES Ash Disposal Facility many within a half-mile of the landfill site. Many of those homes draw water from wells, and nearby homes have drinking water wells drilled 60 to 125 feet deep.