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Welcome to the post Onondaga Lake Watershed Community Forum web page!
You asked questions at the Forum – here are the answers! Facilitators collected questions and comment cards throughout the event. The Forum planning group coordinated responses with assistance from Onondaga Environmental Institute (OEI). Each answer is identified by the responding government agency or partnership of governments (i.e., the Onondaga Lake Partnership, the Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council). Some questions have more than one answer. In some cases on this web page, questions were derived from flip chart notes recorded at Forum Roundtables, or modified from the original comment card, so that questions and answers provide the most information to the watershed community.
Onondaga Lake Watershed Community Forum
November 29, 2011
Questions asked at the forum, grouped by Roundtable topic
Watershed-related, project-related, or specific issue questions (some questions originated at Table A, Beyond the Cleanup: Projects to Reconnect with Onondaga Lake):
1. Is it possible for there to be volunteer days that our community can come and help plant and pick up trash around the area?
Onondaga County Parks provided the following answer to this question:
Community volunteers have been involved with planting and trash cleanup days in the past. Interested parties should contact Onondaga Lake Park staff by phone (315-453-6712) or email (olp@ongov.net) to make arrangements.
2. Is there going to be green infrastructure implemented on the trailways like flexi-pave so that we do not have muddy trails considering the large amount of rain we have?
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
Improvements and extensions of the Loop the Lake Trail will include green infrastructure elements. The County has not determined if flexi pave or porous pavement is feasible or cost effective at this time, but will consider both technologies amongst others as we move forward.
3. How might we connect these opportunities to Syracuse's bike infrastructure? Examples: bike loop around the lake; more safe infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
The City of Syracuse provided the following answer to this question:
The City of Syracuse has recently completed the first phase of the Creekwalk. This amenity provides citizens the opportunity to walk, jog or bike along Onondaga Creek through parts of the City of Syracuse. The City's intent is to connect the Creekwalk to a broader bicycle network throughout the city and the Central New York Region. The City is currently developing a Bike Infrastructure Plan that will articule a vision for how that network may develop in the coming years. The City has also had discussions with Onondaga County about how the Creekwalk may connect to future Loop the Lake efforts.
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
Onondaga County, its municipalities, stakeholders and citizens are working on several fronts toward creation of a robust and safe bicycle infrastructure throughout the planning area:
Onondaga County -
1.) Included $2 million in the 2012 Budget to develop a Plan to complete the Loop the Lake trail.
2.) Onondaga County Sustainable Development Plan (in progress) - fostering smart growth principles and policy, including walkable communities and multi-modal transportation.
See: http://future.ongov.net
3.) Department of Health Creating Healthy Places initiative - public education project on complete streets and healthy community design.
Syracuse Metro Transportation Council (SMTC) - Currently advancing several relevant transportation planning projects:
1.) Erie Canalway Trail, Syracuse Connector Route
2.) NYSDOT Bicycle Corridor Study
3) Onondaga County Sustainable Streets Initiative
4) Also see completed 2003 Bicycle Pedestrian Plan, and 2008 University Hill Bike Network plans at www.smtcmpo.org
City of Syracuse Bicycle Plan (in progress) - http://www.syracuse.ny.us/BIMP.aspx
CNY Pathways - Strategic Action Plan - http://www.focussyracuse.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/CNYPathways.pdf
4. Is Smart Growth being considered as a way to prevent urban sprawl? What is focused on City development prior to developing suburbs? Myron Orfield, David Rusk (OEI added note: Myron Orfield and David Rusk are scholars, authors, and experts on planning urban and regional growth of metropolitan areas.)
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
Significant work is being done throughout the region to prevent urban sprawl and revitalize our cities.
Onondaga County Sustainable Development Plan - The Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency is heading the creation of a plan for sustainable development patterns and policy, which incorporates the principles of Smart Growth and regional asset based strategies, into a plan for efficient use and protection of our natural and built resources, revitalization of our existing urbanized areas and creation of quality communities.
See: http://future.ongov.net
City of Syracuse Land Use Plan: http://www.syracuse.ny.us/landuseplan.aspx
FOCUS Citizens Strategic Action Plan on Smart Growth - http://www.focussyracuse.org/2011/11/smart-growth-in-central-new-york/
Regional Sustainability Plan (to commence in 2012) Development of a regional plan by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, focused on regional environmental sustainability.
5. Is there a way to connect the process of restoring the lake's natural habitat with schools in the city, possibly having classes come do research and plant natural Onondaga Lake grasses and trees to rebuild the lake's natural habitat?
Onondaga County Parks provided the following answer to this question:
For the past two years, Honeywell International, Inc, the Montezuma Audubon Center, and the Onondaga Audubon Society have collaborated to provide professional development opportunities that help local teachers introduce their students to local environmental issues and involve them in hands-on stewardship projects in the Onondaga Lake watershed. For more information, visit:
http://www.onondaga-lake-initiatives.com/photo_gallery/institute-of-ecosystems-education/
The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) provided the following answer to this question:
The OLP’s Mini Grant Program has proven a successful model for engaging urban school districts. Its grants have supported such initiatives as Baltimore Woods Nature Center’s Nature in the City Program, the Izaak Walton League’s Project Watershed, and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Onondaga Lake Stewards program for middle and high school students. For more information about the Mini Grant Program and the local environmental education and outreach efforts it has funded, visit: http://www.onlakepartners.org/public_projects_mini
Onondaga Lake Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
As part of the damage assessment process, the Trustees have proposed detailed and technically complex assessments of the state of Onondaga Lake and its related tributaries, wetlands, and upland areas. Although there has been significant collaboration with SUNY/ESF faculty and graduate students, the Trustees do not foresee a role for school children in the damage assessment or physical restoration planning process for the Lake. However, community education or outreach, including projects that incorporate school children in on-going monitoring or restoration efforts, can be proposed by the public and, as noted below, may be considered appropriate NRDAR restoration projects. Please keep in mind that the Trustees cannot make commitments to particular restoration projects this early in their assessment process.
6. Will the schools be able to use Onondaga Lake as an educational site for our students/future to learn about the lake and how to sustain it?
Onondaga County Parks provided the following answer to this question:
Absolutely; please contact Onondaga Lake Park staff by phone (315-453-6712) or email (olp@ongov.net) to make arrangements.
The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) provided the following answer to this question:
The OLP’s Mini Grant program has funded local environmental education initiatives that connect students with the lake; some examples are listed in OLP’s response to the previous question. OLP is also sponsoring the installation of new interpretative signs about Onondaga Lake in Onondaga Lake Park in the summer of 2012.
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
As noted above, educational projects may be within the scope of appropriate NRDAR restoration efforts. Certainly, NRDAR restoration efforts may be geared toward increasing public access to the Lake – access which could be used by area schools for educational programs. In addition, it may be possible to design an educational outreach program geared toward re-establishing community ties to and uses of the Lake that were diminished because of the pollution-related damages to the Lake and surrounding areas.
7. Are golf courses planned as a destination attraction for the lake?
The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP) provided the following answer to this question:
No golf courses are under discussion or are planned at this time.
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
As noted in the answer to Question 29, NRDAR restoration projects must have a nexus to the ecological injuries and human use losses that were assessed in the NRDA. Although golf courses provide outdoor recreation, such facilities typically would not have the necessary nexus to natural resource injuries to be acceptable projects under NRDAR.
Questions from Table B, Preparing for Lake Dredging in 2012: Progress to Date and Upcoming Plans
The following questions are requests for clarification from the convener's presentation:
8. How many visible dredges will there be on the lake?
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) provided the following answer to this question:
There will be 3 dredges working on the lake. Each dredge will be a different size and used for a specific purpose. The larger two dredges can operate alone, while the smallest dredge will need to operate in conjunction with the midsized dredge. Therefore, the number of working dredges at any one time will be either one or two.
9. How will the dredging process affect boaters/kayakers/canoers outside of the work zone?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
The dredging and capping process should have little, if any, impact on recreational use of the lake outside of the work zones. The public will not be allowed inside of the work zones for safety reasons. The lake shore area by the state fair parking ramp that some use for lake access may not be available during dredging operations. The possibility of limited public availability of this area is still to be determined. There will be additional support vessels outside the work zone, however, these vessels should not affect normal boat traffic on the lake.
10. What is the percentage of lake area being dredged?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
Onondaga Lake has a surface area of about 3,000 acres. The Record of Decision estimates that dredging and capping will cover approximately 425 acres (14%) in the near shore areas and 154 acres (5%) in the deep water areas for a total of about 19% of the lake surface. These percentages may vary slightly after the design is completed. It should also be noted that work will not be occurring in all areas at the same time.
11. Will dredging occur 24-hours a day or only during certain times?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
Dredging is scheduled for 24 hours a day for 6 days per week during the dredging season. One day per week will be devoted to equipment maintenance.
12. What effect will dredging have on fish and other wildlife?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
The dredging should have minimal effect on fish and wildlife during cleanup operations. The dredge moves at a very slow rate so fish can easily avoid the dredge. Aquatic plants in the areas to be dredged will likely be removed prior to dredging. In the long term, the dredging and capping of Onondaga Lake will have a beneficial effect on fish and wildlife as the restored habitat should greatly improve the environment of Onondaga Lake.
Roundtable participants suggested the following as important remediation topics, in response to the facilitator's question: "What is the most important Onondaga Lake remediation/cleanup topic(s) that you want to learn more about?"
Some of the remediation topics suggested were reformatted here as questions.
13. Can you clarify the level of dredging that will take place?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
Dredging is being done to remove contaminated sediments and to provide a suitable water depth to construct an isolation cap and habitat layer over targeted contaminated sediment areas. There will be no areas of the lake that will be dredged without being covered with capping material. The specific design of the cap will vary with the location in the lake, contaminants within the sediments in that area of the lake and the habitat requirements for that area.
14. With respect to dredging, what progress has been achieved so far?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
Much work has already been done in preparation for dredging and capping to begin in 2012. The construction of the disposal cell at the sediment consolidation area (SCA) the water treatment plant, slurry pipeline, shoreline support areas, dredges and other equipment needed to perform the remediation of the lake are well underway. This work is proceeding on schedule for a 2012 dredging start. To stay up-to-date on progress, please sign up to receive Onondaga Lake News emails from DEC by visiting www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/52545.html.
15. Will there be a public viewing area (i.e. observation deck) for the dredging process?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
Honeywell is proposing to construct a viewing area along the shoreline for the public.
16. Where can the public find more information on the dredging project?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question: Information regarding the project is available on the web sites of the USEPA, NYSDEC and Honeywell. Information is also available at the document repositories for the lake and is sent out via the NYSDEC’s Onondaga Lake News listserv.
17. Who at the DEC (name, phone, email) could a person contact if they were viewing the dredging from an observation point and had questions about what was going on and/or the dredging process.
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
For now, please call (518) 402-9676 and ask for Tim Larson, Bob Edwards or Don Hesler. Once dredging begins there will be a local phone number for Tim Larson and Bob Edwards. That phone number will be released to the public once it is available.
The following questions were adapted from an index card:
18. I am interested in the habitat restoration plan that will be implemented in areas of Onondaga Lake requiring remediation. What species will be planted? Does it include native species? Are there well defined and readable maps?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
There are maps and tables listing the types of plantings proposed for the remediation of the lake in Appendix K of the Onondaga Lake Capping and Dredging Habitat and Profundal (SMU8) Draft Final Design, August 2011. This document will soon be available in repositories and on DEC’s Onondaga Lake Remediation Project webpage.
19. What pollutants are removed from the water drained from the geotextile tubes during the onsite water treatment process? Why and how does ammonia removal happen at the Syracuse Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro)?
NYS DEC provided the following answer to this question:
The lake sediment will be dredged by a process called hydraulic dredging. This process mixes the lake sediment with lake water to create a “slurry” that is about 10% sediment and 90% water. This slurry is then pumped via the slurry pipeline up to the disposal cell at the SCA. Here the water is pumped into very large geotextile bags (geotubes) where the water filters out while the contaminated sediments remain inside the geotubes. This water is then pumped to the water treatment plant where the pH is adjusted and polymers are added to precipitate any metals (mercury) that are in the water. The water is then filtered again via inclined plate clarifiers and multimedia filters prior to running through a series of granular activated carbon vessels to remove any organic contaminants dissolved in the water. These contaminants are primarily benzene, chlorobenzenes, toluene, xylene, naphthalene and phenol. What remains dissolved in the water after all of this is the ammonia. Ammonia can be difficult to remove from water. Most treatment processes to remove ammonia are expensive and can be labor intensive. This is especially true for a system that will only be necessary to operate for the few years during dredging and geotube dewatering.
The Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro) has a new ammonia treatment facility that is working very well and has excess capacity. It makes more sense to utilize the existing Metro plant than to build and operate a new ammonia removal facility. Onondaga County, USEPA and NYSDEC have been working with Honeywell and have established the criteria by which Honeywell can send water to Metro without interfering with Metro’s operations. Once the ammonia has been removed, the water will be returned to the lake via Metro’s outfall.
Questions from or related to Table C, Save the Rain: The Use of Green Infrastructure in Managing Stormwater in the Onondaga Lake Watershed
The following questions are requests for clarification from the convener's presentation:
20. What did the Save the Rain (STR) initiative do to the City Lot known as the Farmer's Market site?
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
City Lot # 21 (the lot formerly known as the City Farmer's Market site) received several upgrades including sub-surface storage and infiltration, porous pavers, tree & shrub plantings and resurfacing of the lot. A complete description of the project can be found at: http://savetherain.us/project-city-lot-21-downtown-farmers-market/
21. Are there Save the Rain (STR) projects outside of the city?
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
Yes. The County has recently announced plans for STR projects in the areas outside of the City. More information on the program can be found at: http://savetherain.us/suburban-gip-announcement/
22. What other meetings does the STR have planned?
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
There are many STR activities/meetings that will take place throughout the year. The easiest way to find out more information on meeting schedules and dates is to sign up to receive the STR monthly newsletter at www.savetherain.us.
23. How does Smart Growth fit into STR?
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
The STR program is committed to the goals outlined in the ACJ to reduce stormwater pollution to Onondaga Lake and its tributaries. In addition, the program is also consistent with the goals of both Transportation and Housing/Urban Development to provide solutions that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. See also previous responses to Smart Growth questions.
The following questions were received on index cards:
25. It's not clear to me what is done with the "saved" rainwater. Some communities in areas of the U.S. with limited rainfall have dual water systems- one for drinking water and the other for what's called "gray" water. The latter is used for toilets, lawns, washing buildings, floors, etc. but the dual system is probably feasible only for new buildings- it's too expensive to retrofit city housing except possibly where a major re-plumbing is being done on a high occupancy building, or open land is used for growing food (maybe I should ask Dave Eichorn what he plans to do with the water he collects in his new rainbarrel!) ...*I'm thinking of the cooperative vegetable gardens developed by residents on the near SW side of the city."
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
The overall goal of the STR program is to prevent storm water run-off from entering the local sewer system. During times of rain fall and snowmelt, the flow created by precipitation can cause sewers to overflow. This overflow can send harmful pollutants to local water bodies including Harbor Brook, Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake. In order to prevent sewer system overload, the County is implementing green infrastructure measures that will "capture" storm water where it lands. This captured storm water will eventually be released back into the ground and will never make its way to the sewer system, thus significantly reducing the potential for overload and discharge events. While re-use is not a main focus of the program, the County does recognize it as an acceptable practice for storm water capture. Captured storm water can be re-used for things such as landscaping and the additional uses identified in the question.
25. Will there be Green Infrastructure in rest of County outside Syracuse? Like porous parking lots, green roofs, rain barrels, porous roads? Rain gardens off non porous pavements (driveways, etc.).
Onondaga County provided the following answer to this question:
Yes, the County has recently announced plans for STR projects in the outlying areas of the city. More information on the program can be found at: http://savetherain.us/suburban-gip-announcement/
Questions from index cards related to Table D, Onondaga Lake Natural Resources Damage Assessment & Restoration (NRDAR) Process In-Depth
26. Onondaga watershed is extremely large so are all connecting waterways included in the plan of restoring the lake?
Onondaga Lake Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
The NRDAR process recognizes the ecological connections between Onondaga Lake, its tributaries and proximate upland areas and seeks to address the full range of natural resource damages caused by the release of hazardous pollutants and oil in and around Onondaga Lake. In their Draft Damage Assessment Plan Addendum, the Trustees have proposed a geographic scope that, at minimum, includes “the aquatic habitat of the Lake (both Lake bottom and shoreline wetlands) and each of its tributaries (Ninemile Creek / Geddes Brook / West Flume, Onondaga Creek, Ley Creek, Sawmill Creek, Harbor Brook, Bloody Brook, Tributary 5A, and East Flume), seasonal wetlands associated with these water bodies, as well as all terrestrial sub-sites being evaluated as part of the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site” (p. 15). This geographic scope can be extended if it becomes apparent that damages to natural resources from these prohibited releases are more extensive than presumed.
27. Explain the history of process and expectations of Onondaga Nation: "How did it all happen?" in relation to other processes?
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
Based on its historic and cultural ties to and its continuing treaty rights to use Onondaga Lake for subsistence fishing and other similar purposes, the Onondaga Nation is a Trustee for the Natural Resources of Onondaga Lake, along with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In 2008 the Trustees entered into a Memorandum of Agreement concerning their work on the NRDAR process. In 2009 the Trustees entered into a Cooperative Assessment Agreement with Honeywell for Onondaga Lake. The Onondaga Nation sees the NRDAR process as an opportunity to practice good stewardship of Onondaga Lake. In 2010 the Nation released its Vision for Onondaga Lake, available online at http://www.onondaganation.org/lake_vision.html. The Nation is working to ensure that the NRDAR process moves the Lake toward that vision of health and wholeness. In addition, the Nation views the NRDAR process as an opportunity to deepen the conversation about and understanding of the Lake and the community's relationship with it. The Nation hopes that this discussion will further the desired healing between the Nation and other members of the community and between this community and the land on which it depends. The Nation intends to continue its efforts to fully clean and restore Onondaga Lake for as long as necessary. Because of the limitations of the remedy and the NRDAR process, this work will continue long after both CERCLA processes have been completed.
28. Please explain more about NRDAR processes: What are examples of other processes; what is the difference between collaborative process model vs. adversarial model; i.e. engaging responsible party concurrently to damage injury assessment and other governments and groups?
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
There are NRDAR processes happening all over the country. The most prominent national NRDAR process currently is related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. There, Trustee representatives from several states, NOAA and DOI, and the responsible party, BP, are participating in the assessment to identify injuries to fish, birds, coastal and deepwater habitats, along with loss of recreational and commercial uses of the gulf’s resources. In New York, there are several other major NRD processes ongoing: at the Hudson River, the St. Lawrence and Grasse Rivers, and the Buffalo River. Previously, the State of New York settled an NRD case with Occidental Chemical Corporation regarding recreational fishing losses from a fish consumption advisory on Lake Ontario. The State has prepared a restoration plan and restoration projects in and around Lake Ontario are currently being implemented. Please see http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40068.html for more information.
In cooperative or collaborative NRD processes, there is a greater chance that the Trustees will reach the restoration stage earlier than in other, more adversarial NRD cases. That is because adversarial NRD cases may more likely lead to protracted litigation, instead of settlement. Cooperative NRDAR processes typically involve the responsible party agreeing to pay for assessment studies, so that scarce state and federal resources are saved. Cooperative processes also can allow for certain NRD projects to be undertaken concurrently with implementation of a remedy at a site, allowing for efficiencies and economies of scale with respect to equipment and labor forces.
The risk Trustees take when entering into a collaborative or cooperative process with responsible parties is that they can divert time and resources towards settlement-driven studies and analyses. Trustees need to continue to perform their assessment studies to prepare for litigation in case the cooperative process breaks down.
29. Will these NRD projects/investments be able to create income, i.e. park/hotel fees? Were initial samples taken before the damage assessment are made?
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
The Trustees have a legal duty to restore, replace, or acquire equivalent natural resources to those that were injured by hazardous substances and oil. The restoration projects selected must have a nexus to the ecological injuries and human use losses that were assessed in the NRDA. For example, wetland or stream restoration, water quality improvements, shoreline habitat enhancement, cultural education programs or improved public access are projects that would most likely have a sufficient nexus. Commercial development projects or playgrounds, for example, would not typically have a sufficient nexus to natural resource injuries to be acceptable projects. Therefore, NRD projects are not projects that can directly create income. They can result in job creation for the entities responsible for constructing and implementing projects, and they can have indirect economic benefits to the Onondaga Lake Watershed through increased use, education, and interest in the region.
The NRD assessment began with New York State issuing a Damage Assessment Plan in 1996. The joint-NRDAR process among the State, the federal trustees and the Onondaga Nation started in 2008. Samples of Onondaga Lake sediments, fish, water, and other resources have been taken for many years prior to commencement of the NRDAR process. Additionally, Honeywell is collecting baseline data prior to implementation of the Lake Bottom remedy. All of the data collected before, during and after both the assessment and the remedial processes at the lake will be considered when the Trustees determine the scale of injuries and losses that have occurred in the Onondaga Lake watershed.
30. What is the larger 15 year plan that was started in 2007? When is this area expected to be useable/finished and why were the 3 RFPs in the paper only focusing on housing and Bass Pro shops?
The City of Syracuse provided the following answer to this question:
The City's efforts to develop the Inner Harbor area are not limited to any one use or entity. The City's intention through the recent RFP process, is to promote the development of the Inner Harbor area as an urban, mixed-use neighborhood that will bring activity and vibrancy to our city's core. There is no exact timeline for the development of this neighborhood, but the RFP process is currently ongoing.
Onondaga Lake NRDAR Trustee Council provided the following answer to this question:
The NRD Trustees are not the source for this plan and can’t provide much detail, particularly with respect to the specific “requests for proposals” described. However, the question appears to refer to the overall plan for remediation of Onondaga Lake, portions of which received federal approval in 2007. The goal of remediation is to remove or control the release of pollutants from contaminated sites in and around the Lake. Several sites that were contributing pollutants to the Lake have already been or are being cleaned up under the plan. This year, Honeywell will begin the dredging and capping of the Lake bottom. Some of the work, including site investigation and some early remediation, began as early as 2000. According to Honeywell, the final stage, which involves dredging and capping of the Lake bottom, should be done in 2016.
The Trustees’ work is different than what’s being done under this plan. Instead of trying to remove or contain pollutants in and around the Lake, the Trustees are working to restore the natural resources in the area. The ultimate goal is to return these resources to the condition that would have existed if pollutants had not been released into the Lake. If that’s not possible, the Trustees may choose to acquire equivalent resources as replacements. Because the NRD process is focused on restoration, it may continue after the remediation work described in the overall clean-up plan is completed. In the meantime, the remediation and restoration planning should not prevent the public from using Onondaga Lake, as most of the Lake and the public lands around it remain accessible.