Environment DEC
From the August 2005 issue
Final Plan for Cleanup of Onondaga Lake Issued
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan announced that the state has finalized the cleanup plan for Onondaga Lake and has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the remedial effort, which will be one of the largest environmental cleanup projects in state history.
"With this Record of Decision in place, we are able to move forward in our efforts to restore the lake to its full potential. The people of New York and the residents around Onondaga Lake deserve to have this resource brought back to life, offering the environmental, recreational and historic opportunities that have been unavailable. While a great deal of effort and research went into the development of this cleanup plan, there is still a great deal more to be done," said Commissioner Sheehan.
Elements of ROD
As part of the remedy, up to
2.65 million cubic yards of
sediment will be dredged
from the bottom of the lake
The ROD details the remedy selected by DEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after careful consideration of comments and input on the proposed remedial action plan (PRAP) released in November 2004. It addresses hazardous waste contamination in Onondaga Lake, includes questions and comments received during the extensive public comment period along with DEC responses, and outlines pertinent documents used in making remedial decisions. Responses to questions and comments are also included as part of the ROD.
The ROD includes essential elements of the preferred alternative contained in the PRAP, as follows:- Dredging up to 2.65 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake bottom
- Capping over an estimated 579 acres of the lake bottom
- Treating water generated during the dredging process
- Performing a pilot study to introduce oxygen in the lake, followed by full-scale implementation (if supported by the pilot study)
- Monitoring the natural covering of the contaminated sediments discharged from tributaries to the lake
- Collecting additional data needed for design of the remedy
- Restoring and optimizing habitat in selected areas
- Coordinating with other remedial activities occurring at nearby upland sites
- Monitoring to assess remedy effectiveness over the long term
The ROD also clarifies that certain remedial decisions will be made during the design phase after additional investigative work has been completed. It also calls for the coordination with remedial activities at upland sites to ensure that the latter do not continue to contaminate the lake, and, as necessary, it addresses specific technical issues that were raised in comments on the PRAP.
Estimated Costs
The remedy is protective of human health and the environment; the estimated cost to implement it is approximately $451 million. The cost to construct the remedy is estimated to be $412 million, and the estimated average annual operation and maintenance cost is $3 million. Remedial design is estimated at three years, while complete construction of all the remedial components is expected to take a total of approximately four years.
Additional Meetings
DEC will continue to hold informational meetings with the public and interested parties to discuss elements and details of the design and remedy and to continue its open dialogue. DEC will now commence discussions with Honeywell International, Inc. to reach agreement on the remedial design and the action necessary to implement the remedy as outlined in the ROD.
Public Review
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, and to view the ROD online, please use the link below to visit DEC's Website. Copies of the ROD and project-related documents are available for public review in Syracuse at the Galleries in the Onondaga County Public Library; the Atlantic States Legal Foundation (by appointment), 658 West Onondaga Street; the Moon Library, SUNY ESF, 1 Forestry Drive, and at DEC's Region 7 Office (by appointment), 615 Erie Blvd. West, 315-426-7403. The ROD and documents also may be reviewed at the Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip Street, Liverpool and at Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 Genesee Street, Camillus.
