Syracuse, N.Y. Glenn Coin — A toxic waste site on the western shore of Onondaga Lake will be covered over with dirt and asphalt, according to a new cleanup plan released by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Honeywell is responsible for the cleanup of the 90-acre site, which borders Harbor Brook and straddles I-690 at the southwest corner of the lake. The DEC estimates the project cost at $12.7 million.
If the Wastebed B/ Harbor Brook site isn’t covered over, a 2009 Honeywell report said, people working or walking through the site would face cancer risks higher than allowed by federal law. The half of the site that borders the lake is zoned as parkland, and Onondaga County plans to continue the Loop the Lake biking and hiking trail through the area.
The Onondaga Nation objects to the cleanup plan, saying covering rather than removing contaminated soil isn’t good enough to protect the public or truly clean up the lake shore.