by: Chet Davis (NCC News)
November 17, 2010 6:30 p.m.
Honeywell International has agreed with the state to cap its waste beds in Geddes and Camillus for safer recreational use.
The agreement will force Honeywell to reach deep into its pockets, possibly millions of dollars. Ironically, the company isn’t even responsible for the polluted area. AlliedSignal Corp. dumped chemical products into waste bends from the byproduct of soda ash for at least 40 years. In 1999, the two companies merged.
According to Diane Carleton, Public Affairs Director of the Department of Environmental Conservation, said the land doesn’t pose a health risk.
“It isn’t really a danger to people, but it’s more of a danger to the environment,” Carleton said. “We want to clean the whole area up because those are chemicals that were contaminated and they need to be removed.”
In addition, the company will spend more than $2 million on other improvement projects including:
• Building a boat launch along the southwest shore of Onondaga Lake ($250,000)
• Paying for future lake water study of phosphorus and oxygen levels ($150,00)
• Paying Onondaga Soil and Water Conservation for an employee to oversee stormwater management of the Onondaga Lake watershed ($100,000 per year for three years)
• Helping find a solution to reduce or eliminate mudboils in southern part of Onondaga Creek Valley ($250,000 a year for five years)
• Allowing fishing for at least five years on its property on Nine Mile Creek and Tully Farms Road. May also need to construct public parking and trails to fishing areas
Carleton said the project will take about 10 years to complete.
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