We have made great progress on the restoration of Onondaga Lake. Under the direction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Honeywell is working with hundreds of world class scientists, engineers and technicians to implement the Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the DEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July 2005. Extensive public input has been incorporated into project designs.
This summer we are beginning the initial work to construct the area that will hold material removed from the lake. A Community Health and Safety Plan, reviewed by DEC and the New York State Department of Health (DOH), describes the protective measures that will be taken during this construction. A separate Health and Safety Plan will be developed for lake cleanup operations, which are scheduled to begin in 2012. During the construction, the air is continuously monitored. Monitoring results are available here.
We have started the third and final phase of the underground barrier wall, which is preventing contaminated groundwater from reaching the lake. With the completion of this work in 2011, the primary source of groundwater contamination from the former Allied properties will be cut off from the lake. Groundwater collected by the first two phases is being treated and cleaned at the groundwater treatment plant before being piped back into the lake.
Last May, DEC released the third of four major lake restoration designs and in January the agency released the draft Onondaga Lake Habitat Restoration Plan for public review. The Habitat Plan includes new wetlands, shoreline improvements, and a robust habitat layer for the bottom of the lake where remediation is required.
In April 2010, DEC, in consultation with DOH and EPA, posted answers to Frequently-Asked Questions about the plans to remove materials from the lake and pipe them to the containment area. And in June 2010, EPA released an Onondaga Lake Human Health Risk Assessment related to the containment area.
Progress continues at other sites near the lake. Wetlands around the old LCP plant in Geddes are filled with native species that are attracting wildlife. Twelve thousand newly-planted trees and native plants are now growing in these formerly contaminated wetlands. In 2005, Honeywell stopped the flow of mercury from this site by installing a five-story deep, underground cut-off wall, and removing more than eight tons of mercury from the soil through a new technology called "soil washing."
In coordination with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), Honeywell created a Shrub Willow Farm in Camillus by planting more than 100,000 shrub willows. This rapidly growing plant creates a sustainable and effective vegetative cover while increasing biodiversity, promoting recreational opportunities and serving as a productive source of "green" energy and bio-fuels for the region.
Honeywell is committed to continued public input throughout our work. Two-way communication and opportunities for public engagement are critical to achieving a successful, sustainable restoration of the lake. As part of the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), Community Participation Working Groups are meeting throughout the remediation and restoration work providing a forum to inform, receive input and discuss specific aspects of the design and construction of the lake restoration. Honeywell fully supports the implementation of the CPP.
Welcome to Honeywell's Onondaga Lake Initiatives website. Please use this site to access documents, project updates, photos of work being performed in and around the lake, e-newsletters and to submit questions to our scientists and engineers, or find out how to get involved.
