ONONDAGA LAKE - THE HONEYWELL IMPACT

Sediment
Every day, about one-half ton of clay and silt flows down Onondaga Creek and dumps into the lake. These sediments come from the Tully Valley mudboils. Mudboils are naturally occurring releases for groundwater pressure that is built up by the unique geology of the Tully valley. However, decades of mining by predecessors of Honeywell Int. have significantly increased sediment loading into the lake.

Solvay Wastebeds
The Solvay wastebeds ring the southwest end of Onondaga Lake. In 1884 Honeywell’s predecessors beganproducing soda ash on the lakeshore. Roughly 6 million pounds of salty wastes, made up of chloride, sodium , and calcium were discharged daily to Onondaga Lake from the soda ash facility before it closed in 1986. Additional dumping created the Solvay wastebeds, which continue to leech toxins into Onondaga Lake today.

Mercury
Methyl mercury, the mercury found in aquatic systems, is among the most poisonous chemicals known. Mercury has been measured in fish from Onondaga lake at levels that far surpass federal and state standards. 165,000 lbs of mercury was discharged into Onondaga Lake by Allied Chemical (Honeywell’s predecessor). Scientists estimate that 7 million cubic yards of lake-bottom sediments are contaminated as a result.

Phosphorus and Ammonia
Algal blooms are a serious problem for Onondaga Lake’s ecosystem. Algae drains the water of precious oxygen thereby inhibiting plant and fish life. Recent upgrades at Syracuse’s main sewage facility have helped curb algae-promoting nutrients like phosphorus and ammonia. But these nutrients continue to freely enter the ecosystem from combined sewer overflows (CSO) that release untreated sewage into tributaries that flow into the lake.

Honeywell and Onondaga Lake: A Timeline