Preparations Underway for Upcoming Activities; Health and Safety Plan Released by State Environmental Authorities
Seventy skilled laborers and as many as 15 additional construction technicians, engineers and scientists will be hired early next year for Onondaga Lake construction work. The activities, which include the construction of a lakeshore cleanup support area and a pipeline that will transport material from the lake to a containment area, are another important milestone in the restoration of the lake. The new jobs are in addition to the approximately 180 people now working on lake cleanup activities. This work will be paid for by Honeywell.
Skilled laborers should contact their local union hall for information. Those seeking professional positions should access either Parsons at parsons.com or O’Brien & Gere at obg.com.
Comprehensive health and safety plans that comply with or exceed government requirements and industry standards will be part of these construction activities. The health and safety plan released today by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) describes the protective measures that will be taken during the 2011-2012 construction. A separate health and safety plan will be developed for operational activities scheduled to begin in 2012.
2011-2012 Construction:
- Consolidation area: Construction of the water treatment plant and the consolidation area began in 2010 and will continue in 2011 and 2012. New activities include the installation of storm water storage basins and construction of the material processing area (preparing the ground and installing utilities and equipment).Most activities will take place on top of the existing ground. Activities that will be below the ground include shallow excavation to install the drainage system, installation of ground monitoring equipment, and excavation to install pipelines and water lines.The locations of the new construction activities are shown in the figure below.
- Pipeline: A 3.5-mile double-walled pipeline will be constructed to transport the material removed from the lake to the consolidation area. Several electric booster pumps will be installed to move the lake material through the pipe.Most of the pipeline will be constructed above the ground, with supports and anchors installed in specific areas. Construction will consist of placing the pipe on the ground and welding the pieces together. In several locations it will be necessary to install the pipeline underground to cross under roadways and rail lines. These crossings will be constructed by excavating soil or using a drill.
- Lakeshore support area: Construction at the lakeshore will include infrastructure to support the lake cleanup operations such as storage for equipment, docks, and a booster pump. The construction will require limited excavation.Activities that require excavation will be short-term and will include installing underground utilities and preparing for the installation of equipment and trailers.
Yellow lines show the truck route for the lakeshore construction.
The air monitoring program for the consolidation area, which was approved by DEC in 2010, will continue to evaluate air quality at the work zone during the 2011 and 2012 construction activities. There are currently eight fixed monitoring locations around the work zone perimeter to ensure dust and volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentrations remain below guidelines established by the Department of Health.
Measures taken to ensure dust does not leave the work area include using a water truck to wet roadways, application of dust-suppressing road materials, if necessary, and use of fire hoses. If limits for dust or VOCs are exceeded for a 15-minute period, onsite activities will be stopped until corrective measures are implemented.
Odor monitoring is measured with a Nasal Ranger field olfactometer by a trained observer twice per day at each of the eight monitoring stations. If odor measurements exceed acceptable levels, the source will be investigated. Monitoring results are available online at www.onondaga-lake-initiatives.com.
Air samples will be collected at the lakeshore support area and along the pipeline during construction activities. Air monitoring in these areas will be consistent with the monitoring for the consolidation area. Once activities in these locations are complete, the air monitoring will stop.
Plan details can be found in the 2011-2012 Construction Community Health and Safety Plan. The DEC Fact Sheet about the health and safety plan, as well as other information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, is available online at http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/37558.html.
Individuals interested in more information should contact Honeywell at 315-552-9784.
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit: www.onondaga-lake-initiatives.com
