A clean lake reflects well on all of us.

 

Past Annual Meetings

Videos of the Annual Progress Meetings as well as the Year in Review are available to borrow from your local library. Educators and civic groups may also request a copy from the OLP for classroom and/or meeting purposes, by email at info@onlakepartners.org or by calling toll free 1-800-833-6390.

2008

OLP held the eighth Annual Progress Meeting Monday, September 29, 2008 at the Lakeside Fire Hall, 1002 State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse. Exhibits opened at 6:30 p.m. with educational material provided by the Onondaga Lake Partnership, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Onondaga County, Onondaga Environmental Institute, Izaack Walton League, and Honeywell Inc. Educational literature was available on topics such as green infrastructure, rain gardens, lake fisheries, and the Onondaga Creek Revitalization Plan. Complimentary samples of phosphorus-free fertilizer were distributed by Cornell Cooperative Extension as part of an OLP Mini Grants funded project.

The evening featured a video to show progress made by the Onondaga Lake Partnership during the past year. Video commentary was provided by Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, Mayor Matt Driscoll, Ken Lynch (Regional Director, NYS DEC Region 7), Sue Miller (Deputy Director Water Environment Protection), Bill Kappel (Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey), and Meredith Perreault (Project Scientist, Onondaga Environmental Institute). The audience had an opportunity to present questions to a panel of experts. New this year was a ‘Year in Review’ publication that was distributed to meeting participants and can be downloaded by clicking on the following link: 2008 Year in Review.

Congressman James T. Walsh was honored for his years of dedication and assistance to providing funding and resources for Onondaga Lake clean-up efforts. On behalf of the Partnership, flowering serviceberry trees have been planted at Onondaga Lake Park in recognition of his many years of unwavering support. A plaque citing the OLP‘s appreciation was unveiled at the meeting and has been placed in the lobby of the Griffin Visitor Center at Onondaga Lake Park.

2007

OLP held the seventh Annual Progress Meeting Monday, October 23, 2007, in the Tiffany Ballroom at the Genesee Grand Hotel in Syracuse. The event was moderated by Dan Cummings of News Channel, 9, WSRY-TV and was attended by approximately 70 people including representatives from Congressman James T. Walsh and State Senator John A. DeFrancisco’s offices.

The evening provided an opportunity for OLP to discuss the accomplishments of completed and ongoing projects, as well as proposed activities to better the lake. Meeting attendees participated in one of three subgroup discussions with OLP members and exhibitors to discuss key issues and planned activities to continue the progress of cleaning Onondaga Lake. The group discussion topics included Hazardous Waste Remediation, Wastewater Improvements and Preventative Measures, and Recreation and Natural Resources.

The key message of the evening was ‘Onondaga Lake is getting better!’.

2006: Onondaga Lake is a wonderful resource, and it is getting better!

OLP held its Sixth Annual Progress Meeting Monday, October 30, 2006, before a standing room only audience at the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse, New York.

Highlights of the presentation included a review of the many improvements in Onondaga Lake's water quality. To encourage public participation, the format of the meeting included five interactive group discussions regarding outreach and education, hazardous waste and lake bottom issues, wastewater improvements, water quality, and recreation.

The OLP continues to offer Mini-grant and Education Fund Programs to local residents and schools for projects and field trips.

Participants at the OLP 2002 Annual Progress Meeting

2005 Annual Meeting

OLP held its Fifth Annual Progress Meeting on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

Highlights of the 2005 Year in Review included the completion of the ammonia and phosphorous upgrades at the Metropolitan Water Treatment Facility which will greatly improve Onondaga Lake's water quality, completion of a sewer separation project on the West side of Syracuse near Tallman and Onondaga Streets that eliminated four combined sewer overflows. A final plan was approved for the remediation Onondaga Lake's bottom which includes dredging of up to 2.65 million cubic yards of sediment, isolation capping of 600 acres of the lake bottom and extensive monitoring to assure the effectiveness of the plan.

Presentations were given for the following mini-grants: "The Fund for the Environment," "Project Watershed Consortium," "Summer Science Camp," "Centers for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods," "Natural Resources of the Nine-Mile Creek Sub-Basin," and "Carp in Onondaga Lake."

2004 Annual Meeting

OLP held its Fourth Annual Progress Meeting on Wednesday, November 3, 2004, from 6:30 - 9:30 PM at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

2003 Annual Meeting

OLP held its Third Annual Progress Meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2003, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

2002 Annual Meeting

OLP held its Second Annual Progress Meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2002, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

A slide presentation summarizing progress made in revitalization of Onondaga lake in 2002 is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
2002 Annual Progress Meeting slide presentation
Looking Ahead segment of Annual Progress Meeting:
Henninger High School report on National Water Monitoring Day event on October 18, 2002 at Onondaga Creek, and stakeholders sharing their vision for Onondaga Lake.

2001 Annual Meeting

2001 Annual Progress Meeting Report

Community members meet representatives of OLP member organizations

OLP held its First Annual Progress Meeting on Monday, October 29, 2001 from 7-9 p.m. at Nottingham High School, Syracuse, New York. The meeting began with a "Year in Review" report, given by the members of the Partnership's Executive Committee and the Chairs of each of its three Standing Committees. A summary of their briefings follows:

Lt. Col. Glen R. DeWillie, Chair, Executive Committee and District Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District. Lt. Col. DeWillie reported that since the inception of the Partnership in August 2000, the OLP has added over a dozen representatives of local businesses, academia, special interest groups and government agencies to its committees. Charged with executing the Army's mission on behalf of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the Corps serves as the lead agency for the OLP. The Corps launched the public website for the Partnership and continues to develop and update content for the site. They have awarded federal grants totaling $1.9 million in 2001 for improvements of storm and sanitary sewers in Syracuse and to reduce stormwater pollution to Onondaga Lake. The Corps also awarded an additional $1.5 million for construction of three new combined sewer overflow (CSO) projects, and completed construction of the Hiawatha Boulevard CSO. Currently in progress is the design for a lake oxygenation demonstration project and a lakeside trail habitat project, planning for the construction of permanent lakewide habitat modules and the development and implementation of both urban and rural best management practices. The Corps is developing processes for broadening scientific peer review of lake models and investigations as well as watershed databases and geographic information systems.

Mr. Mario P. Del Vicario, Executive Committee and Chief, Place-Based Protection Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Mr. Del Vicario reported that the USEPA has been involved in Onondaga Lake issues since 1996. Their primary role has been to ensure that the lake meets water quality criteria and is safe for swimming and fish consumption. The USEPA has contributed $81.6 million towards Onondaga Lake Management Plan projects and $72.7 million towards Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) projects. In April 2001, they provided $30 million to Onondaga County for the construction of their ammonia and phosphorous removal facility. The USEPA and the Corps also work together as the liaison with the Onondaga Nation, which has requested that the OLP explore the viability of restoring habitat for salmon fisheries.

Mr. Chris Wiles, representing Norman Spiegel, Executive Committee and Assistant New York State Attorney General (AG). Mr. Wiles stated that the AG's office has been involved with Onondaga Lake issues since 1988 when they brought suit against Onondaga County and 1989, when they brought suit against then Allied-Signal, Inc. for pollution violations and resource damage.

Mr. Kenneth P. Lynch, Executive Committee and Regional Director, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Mr. Lynch stated that the Onondaga Lake cleanup has turned the corner. "No longer are we simply studying the lake or debating how it should be done - real work is being done every day to restore Onondaga Lake." He explained that the ACJ governs the wastewater treatment issues, and sets forth specific projects and schedules. NYSDEC has worked aggressively with Honeywell and other responsible parties to complete investigations and implement real work to address hazardous waste issues. Mr. Lynch issued a call to action: "It's not just the partners saying what needs to be done, or how to proceed - the OLP has established the framework to involve you, the public, in this process. We need you to become informed, involved and interested in lake cleanup issues. Come to our meetings, go to the library, browse our website - educate yourself on the issues and give us your feedback." As a lifelong resident of the area, Mr. Lynch stated that it's easy to become apathetic about the lake, and added: "It's time to put the jokes and the naysaying behind us - I'm confident that we can restore Onondaga Lake to the asset it once was."

Mr. Nicholas J. Pirro, Executive Committee and Onondaga County Executive. Mr. Pirro described a cartoon he had found that decried the plight of Onondaga Lake and asked the question, "Why can't something be done about it?" He then explained that the cartoon appeared on an American Legion Newsletter, dated August 13, 1946. "For the first time, I can say that through the Onondaga Lake Partnership, we're making real and effective progress," he said. Mr. Pirro acknowledged the support of Congressman James Walsh, Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and New York State Governor George Pataki, and thanked the members of the community who are serving on the various OLP committees. He emphasized that the OLP is supportive of the ACJ projects and continues to play a vital role in helping to complete these projects on, and in some cases ahead of schedule.

Mr. Joseph W. Barry III, Executive Committee and Assistant Corporation Counsel, City of Syracuse, representing Mayor Matthew Driscoll. Mr. Barry stated that the OLP provides a forum for stakeholders as well as a mechanism to coordinate federal and state aid. He added that the OLP complements the city's efforts in the ongoing and future lakefront development.

Mr. Steve Eidt, Chair, Project Committee and Regional Water Engineer, NYSDEC. Mr. Eidt explained that the Project Committee is a technically-based committee that includes the expertise of engineers, scientists, biologists, and chemists. Their primary purpose is to solicit projects each year to improve lake water quality and habitat. He stated that the goal is to address issues with a broad watershed and ecosystem approach. Twenty-six research and implementation project proposals were received this year, which are currently being assessed for technical merit. The Executive Committee will make the final decision on selection, prioritization for implementation. Mr. Eidt explained that the key to this process is coordination, in that some projects must logically follow others. The OLP is accountable to taxpayers, and is dedicated to spending available dollars wisely by implementing projects that will achieve our goals. The Committee uses a broad-based approach, seeking projects to address point and non-point source pollution, habitat improvements, and rural, suburban and urban best management practices.

Mr. David Coburn, Chair, Resource Committee and Director, Onondaga County Office of the Environment. Mr. Coburn stated that the primary function of the Resource Committee is to identify funding sources for OLP projects and to track subsequent spending. Currently over 100 projects are on the books, including ACJ, industrial hazardous waste, Onondaga Lake Management Plan, habitat improvement and non-point source pollution projects. The list of projects underway is steadily growing; eight projects were started in 2001 and approximately 10-20 are considered for 2002, with a collective cost of millions of dollars. Some of these projects are funded by Congressional appropriations of federal funds through the USEPA and the Corps. The challenge for the Resource Committee is that, whenever federal funds are used, they must be matched at various percentage rates by contributions of non-federal (local and/or state) funds. Onondaga County Legislature provided $1.8 million in 2001, over and above the ACJ projects they are executing. Mr. Coburn called for input of ideas on how to pursue dollars for non-federal match purposes.

Mr. Adolph Everett, Chair, Outreach Committee and Chief, Freshwater Protection Section, USEPA. Mr. Everett explained that the Outreach Committee determines the best products and methods to get the word out about the OLP and the lake improvement effort. This year, the public website was launched and a local public relations firm was contracted to provide outreach products. To date, an OLP logo and two portable displays have been developed (and were unveiled at the Progress Meeting). Mr. Everett stated that the OLP welcomes public participation. Members of the public have attended Outreach Committee meetings and made valuable contributions. An outreach event with approximately 90 local high school science students is planned for Tuesday, October 30 at Nottingham High School. The Outreach Committee is considering future regular meetings and other opportunities for dialogue with the community. Mr. Everett explained that the Outreach Committee budget, like the project budgets, also requires non-federal matching funds and, like the Resource Committee, we are open to ideas on how best to manage this need.

Mr. Matt Mulcahey, WTVH-TV news anchor, served as the moderator for the "Looking Ahead" portion of the Progress Meeting, interviewing several representatives of stakeholder groups and then facilitating an open discussion with the audience about their vision for the future of Onondaga Lake and its watershed. Stakeholder participants included:

Mr. Don Hughes, Sierra Club. Mr. Hughes stated that the Sierra Club's vision for Onondaga Lake is that it become free from PCBs and other pollutants, and clean enough to allow swimming and regular fish consumption. He asked that tributaries be included in the cleanup effort. He stated that sediment cleanup is a critical issue, and that Onondaga Creek needs to be opened up and accessible, possibly allowing for development of a walking and biking path. "We need to get beyond the controversy, acrimonious debate and 'stick your head in the sand' attitude," he said. Mr. Hughes called for the OLP to live up to its vision statement, particularly in encouraging the participation of all groups, including the public, and asked that future meetings be better publicized.

Mr. Chuck Thousand, Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. Mr. Thousand stated a desire for additional and easier access to the "area's greatest bass fishery," including access for the handicapped and during the winter. He is hopeful that a habitat access stamp will be added to hunting and fishing licenses to raise funding to improve habitat and fisheries. He stated that the Sportsmen's Club can help with public awareness. His vision includes weekly fishing activities and possible ice boat races.

Mr. Fred Miller, Nine Mile Creek Conservation Council. Mr. Miller stated that his vision is to see a water body that invites water sports recreationalists to utilize it for enjoyment. He suggested development of shoreline areas, to allow places to view wildlife and use the parks, and an expansion of the Nine Mile Creek water trail. Mr. Miller called for a watershed system that incorporates best management river and watershed practices to conserve the tributaries well into the 21st century. He envisions conservation of the natural macro and microinvertebrate environments, attracts usership and takes a long-term view of the entire system.

Mr. Rich Puchalski, Partnership for Onondaga Creek and Syracuse United Neighbors. Mr. Puchalski expressed his opposition to the sewer treatment plant planned for the south side inner city. He stated that the science currently used is flawed and puts more chemicals into Onondaga Creek. His vision is to have Onondaga Creek restored and used as a natural resource, and he wants to explore alternative sciences. He stated a need for looking at the complete infrastructure, and called for more sewer separation and smaller pumping stations, as well as the repair of old sewer pipes. Mr. Puchalski further stated that the OLP doesn't represent citizens and that they meet behind closed doors with no public dialogue.

Public comments received:

Sue Miller, Deputy Commissioner of the Onondaga County Department of Drainage and Sanitation, teaches students about wastewater treatment.

OLP High School Forum

OLP conducted a forum for high school physical and environmental science students on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 from 1 - 3 p.m. at Nottingham High School, Syracuse, New York.

The event was attended by approximately 50 students and teachers from four schools (Nottingham High School, West Genesee High School, Baker High School and Christian Brothers Academy). Lt. Col. DeWillie, Chair of the OLP Executive Committee and District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, gave a brief opening statement. Students and teachers were then placed in small groups to visit each of six different interactive stations.

Presentations included:

Responses to Feedback cards, 2001

Each of the responses below lists a direct point of contact for further information. Additionally, further comments and/or questions may be referred to the Onondaga Lake Partnership by e-mail at info@onlakepartners.org or by calling toll-free 1-800-833-6390. Inquiries are received through these venues by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, and responses are coordinated with the appropriate Partnership members and agencies.

I would like to see a better timeline or schedule of future plans and remedial efforts.

I would like to see a schedule of projects, studies with expenditures.

The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) is in the process of developing a project priority list for FY 2002, which will include a description and timeline for each funded project, and how it fits into the Onondaga Lake Management Plan. Information on project timelines and expenditures will be made available when these decisions are made, expected by the spring of 2002.

Regarding wastewater treatment projects performed under Onondaga County's lake improvement program, the County publishes a monthly progress report with timelines and expenditures for each project, and maintains the more recent reports on its website. For more information, please contact Ms. Sue Miller of Onondaga County's Department of Drainage and Sanitation at 315-435-2260, or visit the "What's New" page of the County's website at Onondaga County Lake Improvement Project.

Regarding remedial activities occurring at the hazardous waste sites, the following information is provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC):

The current main interceptor sewer line cannot carry all of the wet weather combined sewer and stormwater flow to Metro and therefore results in release of the combined flow into Onondaga Creek during storm events or heavy snow melt (Combined Sewer Overflows - CSOs).

Construction of a new parallel interceptor sewer line would not only be extremely disruptive to all areas in the City along the Creek, but Metro does not have the capacity to accept and treat all of the combined flow that is currently generated in the City system. Any upgrading to expand the capacity of Metro to receive and treat all of the wet weather flows that occur infrequently would not be cost effective. The County's program to address the impacts of CSOs uses a variety of technologies.

These include conveying as much flow as possible to Metro in the existing pipe system (approximately 90% of the annual average wet weather flow), installation of separate sewer lines in certain areas and construction of floatables removal and regional treatment facilities. Regional treatment of overflows at smaller satellite facilities like proposed at Blaine and Oxford streets are a far less disruptive and far more cost-effective way to reduce the impacts of CSOs on the creek and the lake than full conveyance to Metro.

Berkeley Pit: The Berkeley Pit is located in an ore-rich section of southwestern Montana. It became a federal Superfund site after more than a century of primitive and destructive techniques of hard rock mining and smelting activities which resulted in extensive environmental damage (contamination of ground water, surface water and soil with arsenic, copper, zinc cadmium and lead) from the Continental Divide to Miltown Dam (120 miles downstream).

Following the shutdown of the mining operations in the 1980s, the Berkeley Pit filled with some 17 billion gallons of water. This caused considerable concern to EPA and the State of Montana because the rising contaminated mine water in the pit had the potential to drain into local aquifers. To prevent contaminated mine runoff, several long term response actions are being implemented, including controlling surface water inflow into the pit, regulating pit system water levels, extensive monitoring and other institutional controls.

In addition to these measures, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has slotted the Berkeley Pit as a "demonstration site" for environmental reclamation. To further address the mine drainage issue, DOE scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a technology capable of removing toxic metal contaminants from acidic mine runoff. Polymer Filtration, the patented Los Alamos technology, couples unique water-soluble polymers with a process known as ultrafiltration. This technology provides a potential remedy for the Berkeley Pit Superfund site.

Upon review of the information pertaining to the Berkeley pit site, there do not appear to be treatment technologies used at the site that applicable to the situation in Onondaga Lake, specifically the toxic contribution of the sediments to water quality. Because of the differences in location and the nature of the materials being treated at that site, it does not appear that reclamation activities described above could be readily implemented. Constructing the necessary controls to manage sediment contributions from the lake inflow, or disturbing and treating in-lake sediments in this manner, would seem to be cost-prohibitive, and its ecological impact on the lake and its environs would need to be assessed.

Mudboil Sediments: The question of the mudboil sediments, as we understand, was that their discharge should not have been controlled, as the mudboils are a source of sediments that were covering the lake bottom, and would seal off or "cap" the bottom sediments and reduce resuspension/recirculation of these materials into the water column. After years of study, our assessment is that in order to help improve water quality standards and attain designated uses for Onondaga Creek and Lake, the benefits of controlling the mudboils to reduce sedimentation far outweigh the benefits to allowing their uncontrolled discharge. A scenario in Irondequoit Bay in Rochester was mentioned as a case in which such a "capping" approach was used to reduce nutrient recycling in the deepest parts of the bay. However, due to differences such as the properties of materials to be capped, and system dynamics including depth, detention time, etc. we do not believe this approach the best alternative for improving the Onondaga Lake watershed.

Should you have any questions regarding the Metro/trunk line response, please contact Ms. Susan Miller of Onondaga County's Department of Drainage and Sanitation at (315) 435-2260. Should you have any questions regarding the Berkeley pit response, please contact Ms. Erika Clark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at (212) 637-3805. Further questions concerning the Tully Valley Mudboils may be directed to Mr. William Kappel of the U.S. Geological Survey at (607) 266-0217, ext. 3013.

Non-federal match explanation by David Coburn was confusing - needs better explanation.

To date, the Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) has been fortunate to receive substantial funding for lake improvement projects from Congressional appropriations; either through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE, or Corps). Last year (Federal Fiscal Year 2000 - 2001) the USACE received $4.2 million from Congress to apply toward Onondaga Lake improvement projects. All such federal contributions toward water quality improvement projects require a "match," or financial contribution from a non-federal or local sponsor. The "match" requirement for Corps funds is 30% of the total project cost.That is, the money that the Corps is able to contribute to lake projects is only available for a project if there is a "match" of local funds amounting to 30% of the total project cost. For example, if the total cost of a given project is $100, 30 % of the project cost - or $30 - would have to come from local contributions, and the remaining project costs, or $70, could be paid for with federal funding.

Since Congress had appropriated $4.2 million for the Corps to apply toward Lake improvement projects in FY 2000-2001, if "match" money were available from local sponsors, a total of $6 million in lake improvement projects could be completed.

$4.2 million(USACE money) = 70% of the project costs
$1.8 million(local match)30%of the project costs
$6.0 million(total avail. money)= 100% of the project costs

Last year the Onondaga County Legislature, at the County Executive's request, appropriated $1.8 million to provide the 30% match requirement so that the entire $4.2 million in federal money could be applied to lake improvement projects. Any future federal appropriations for lake improvement projects will also require "match" money from local sponsors.

Further questions on this issue may be referred to Mr. David Coburn, Chair of the Resource Committee and Director of the Onondaga County Office of the Environment at (315) 435-2647.