Superfund Restoration: Onondaga Lake

Onondaga Lake has been described as the most polluted lake in the country. With increasing industrialization, the past century has been deleterious to waterways near many production centers. Onondaga was hit harder because of the large amount of waste being dumped into it. AlliedSignal, a chemical company, pumped approximately 1.5 million tons of chemical waste per year into Onondaga Lake at its peak. The Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro) has also been dumping large amounts of effluent into the lake. It actually takes in a greater percentage of water as effluent than any other lake in the United States. During times when water from tributaries declines, the effluent being pumped from Metro can be the biggest contributor of water to the lake (Landers 64-69). These statistics are alarming and it is obvious and imperative that something needs to be done. A few organizations, especially Superfund, have taken the lead in remedying the lake, and in all there are eight subsites of the Onondaga Lake National Priorities List (NPL) site (Proposed Plan of Onondaga Lake Superfund Site).
Cleaning up a waterway, however, does not simply consist of filtering. Much has to be done to restore the body of water to the condition it was in before being contaminated. For example, Onondaga Lake started its renewal programs in the 1970s with the institution of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Bans were placed on the production of harmful chemicals, a lawsuit was created against AlliedSignal, upgrades were made to Metro, and studies of pollution effects were undertaken. In the 1980s, the sewage treatment plant was again upgraded and several other industries that contributed to the damage were closed. This continued into the 1990s and today with many more legislative advancements and modifications (Addressing the Problem).
As a proposed solution for the cleanup of Onondaga Lake, a remedy “will involve dredging an estimated 2.7 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and waste…” (Landers 66). This highly contaminated material will be treated and exposed on off-campus sites. Isolation caps will also be placed over the contaminated layers of sediment coating the floor of the lake. This method will help prevent the pollution from rising and further contaminating the water (Landers 67). Researchers hope that such a plan will be a success in decreasing mercury levels and overall improving the condition of Onondaga Lake.

Landers, Jay. New Life for Onondaga Lake. May 2006. 64-71,86. Civil Engineering—ASCE. 6 Oct. 2007. EBSCOhost: Business Source Elite.


Proposed Plan of Onondaga Lake Superfund Site. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 6 Oct. 2007.

Addressing the Problem. Onondaga Lake Partnership. 6 Oct. 2007.