Team Honored for Innovative Environmental Solutions
The Onondaga Lake Cleanup Team received the 2017 Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Dredging in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 28. WEDA recognized the team, led by Honeywell, for incorporating innovative technologies into an environmentally sustainable remedy for the restoration of Onondaga Lake, which is now becoming an economic driver for the region.
The Onondaga Lake cleanup team includes Honeywell, Parsons, Anchor QEA, OBG, Geosyntec Consultants, Sevenson Environmental Services, Infrastructure Alternatives, and de maximis.
Recognized as one of the largest restoration projects in North America, the Onondaga Lake cleanup is the result of more than two decades and millions of hours of intensive effort. The project was completed through an unwavering focus on sound science, technical excellence, community engagement, sustainable practices, and a commitment to health and safety. Project innovations resulted in significant advancements in sediment remediation technology. The cleanup combined innovative dredging and capping designs with long-term habitat restoration, leading to an environmentally protective solution.
Honeywell completed the dredging in November 2014, a year ahead of schedule. About 2.2 million cubic yards of material was removed from the bottom of the lake using hydraulic dredges. Onondaga Lake capping was completed in December 2016. Habitat restoration, a major focus of the cleanup, continues into the fall of 2017.
“Careful design, planning, and execution by a passionate team of scientists, engineers, and skilled craft laborers led to groundbreaking collaborative work on the largest sediment lake cleanup in the country,” said Honeywell Director of Remediation Design and Construction William Hague.
Onondaga Lake cleanup management team members, pictured left to right: Kendrick Jaglal, OBG; Tom Drachenberg, Parsons; John McAuliffe, Honeywell; William Hague, Honeywell; Brian Shanahan, Sevenson Environmental Services; Bill Cretens, Infrastructure Alternatives; and Walter Dinicola, Anchor QEA.
“The cleanup represents more than world-class investigations and engineering. The lake’s restoration is the return of a community jewel and a source of pride and optimism for Central New York,” said Honeywell Syracuse Program Director John McAuliffe. “We celebrate with the community in accepting this prestigious award.”
Pictured left to right: WEDA Environmental Commission Chair Craig Vogt, William Hague, John McAuliffe, and WEDA Board of Directors Chair and President Marcel Hermans.
WEDA is a member of the World Organization of Dredging Associations and covers North, Central, and South America. WEDA is dedicated to the exchange of knowledge in fields related to dredging, navigation, marine engineering, and construction by sponsoring or co-sponsoring national and international technical conferences, seminars, and symposiums, including publication and dissemination of the proceedings.
In 2014, WEDA awarded the Onondaga Lake Cleanup Team the WEDA Annual Safety Awardfor its outstanding safety record and performance. The award is presented to “corporations or projects that have been conducted with special attention and focus to public and worker health and safety.”
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.
