Honeywell today announced that it has entered into a Consent Decree with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to implement the Onondaga Lake cleanup plan as outlined in the state’s Record of Decision (ROD) issued on July 1, 2005.
The Consent Decree is the result of 12 years and 90,000 hours of intensive effort by world class scientists, engineers and technicians working in cooperation with DEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The cleanup plan, which will be carried out under DEC supervision, was approved by DEC and EPA in 2005. The Consent Decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and review by a federal judge.
Data collected in 2005 and 2006 from Onondaga Lake shows lower levels of contamination than expected in sediments on the southwestern shoreline along Route 690.
“Today marks the culmination of years of work to produce a cleanup plan for Onondaga Lake. Everyone in Central New York can be confident that this plan is based on sound science, thorough regulatory review and extensive public participation,” said Honeywell Vice President Katherine Adams. “Honeywell is ready to implement the plan and we are committed to conducting this work under state supervision until it is complete.”
The remedy outlined in the ROD calls for the dredging and disposal of up to 2.65 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments, construction of an isolation cap over an estimated 425 acres in the shallower areas of the lake, construction of a thin-layer cap over an estimated 154 acres in the lake’s deeper areas, monitored natural recovery, wetland and habitat restoration, as well as long-term maintenance and monitoring.
The isolation cap will cover about 425 acres and assist with the lake’s natural recovery.
Under the Consent Decree, Honeywell will, within 150 days after entry of the Consent Decree in federal court, submit to the state a Remedial Design Work Plan outlining activities and schedules for implementation of the remedy. The work plan will be based on relevant EPA and DEC guidance documents. Within 30 days after the state approves the plan, Honeywell will begin the work authorized in the plan, which is expected to take nine years to complete.
The Consent Decree calls for Honeywell to assist the state in its implementation of a citizen participation program, requiring Honeywell to cooperate with the state in providing information regarding the remediation plan to the public.
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.onondaga-lake-initiatives.com.
