Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of Onondaga Lake Capping

New York Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, announced yesterday that the capping of the Onondaga Lake bottom is now complete.

“The completion of this project to revitalize Onondaga Lake marks a major milestone for Central New York that will improve the quality of life for residents, and opens up additional opportunities for tourism, outdoor recreation and economic development for the entire region,” Governor Cuomo said.

“This work will help ensure that the lake remains a clean, viable natural resource for generations to come.”

During the revitalization of Onondaga Lake, a total of 2.2 million cubic yards of sediment was hydraulically dredged from the bottom of the lake and adjacent shoreline areas from 2012 to 2014, and approximately 3.1 million cubic yards of cap material was placed in Onondaga Lake from 2012 to 2016.

Honeywell’s completion of the dredging and capping is a significant benchmark in the revitalization of Onondaga Lake, the announcement stated.

The cap consists of layers of sand, gravel, and topsoil, which range from four to 66 inches in thickness. The cap is designed to isolate remaining contaminants from the water column. The cap was put down in layers and becomes more stable with time. In addition, naturally occurring sedimentation is expected to further increase the cap thickness and is occurring faster than anticipated.

DEC will conduct ongoing monitoring of the cap and all aspects of the cleanup remedy, the press release stated.

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