Greta Jimenez
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has been dubbed the most polluted lake in America. The lake has been subjected to industrial and municipal sewage discharges for over a century, with unsafe pollution levels leading to the banning of ice harvesting as early as 1901, swimming in 1940, and fishing in 1970 due to mercury contamination. The site has witnessed a long history of environmental degradation, with the Onondaga Nation losing control of the lake after the American Revolutionary War and subsequently suffering the impacts of industrial waste and urbanization. While recent upgrades at Syracuse's main sewage facility have helped curb algae-promoting nutrients, the lake still faces challenges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that release untreated sewage into its tributaries. The final phase of the lake's cleanup is set to begin, addressing the remaining toxic mud and contaminated groundwater.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Onondaga County, New York |
| Size | 4.5-4.6 square miles |
| Average depth | 35-36 feet |
| Maximum depth | 62-65 feet |
| Major tributaries | Ninemile Creek, Onondaga Creek |
| Pollution sources | Sewage, industrial waste, municipal waste, mercury, chlorinated benzenes, BTEX compounds, PCBs, PAHs, sediment from Tully Valley mudboils, salt from ice removal, fertilizers, pesticides, animal waste, trash |
| Cleanup efforts | Sewage treatment plant upgrades, factory site cleanup, underground barrier wall construction, dredging, long-term monitoring |
| Status | Ongoing; final phase of cleanup to begin soon |
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![Past and Present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York, from Prehistoric Times to the Beginning of 1908, by the Rev. William M. Beauchamp. Also Biographical (1908) Volume 1 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FbOFgXaEL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
- Pollution sources: municipal sewage, industrial waste, and chemical dumping
- Cleanup efforts: EPA-led initiatives, Honeywell's role, and funding sources
- Environmental impact: ecosystem disruption, mercury contamination, and oxygen depletion
- Regulatory actions: lawsuits, Consent Decree, and Clean Water Act
- Community response: public perception, activism, and Onondaga Nation's involvement
Pollution sources: municipal sewage, industrial waste, and chemical dumping
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has been labelled "the most polluted lake in America". The lake's pollution is attributed to a combination of municipal sewage, industrial waste, and chemical dumping.
Municipal Sewage
Onondaga Lake has received large amounts of raw and partially treated sewage from the city of Syracuse and its suburbs. The sewage has contributed to the high levels of pollution in the lake, leading to a ban on swimming in the 1950s and a fishing ban in 1972 due to mercury contamination.
Industrial Waste
The lake has also been affected by industrial dumping for over a century. Companies such as Allied Chemical have been responsible for discharging toxic waste into the lake, including mercury and other harmful chemicals. This has resulted in a decline in the lake's ecosystem, with a reduction in fish populations and the dominance of cyanobacteria.
Chemical Dumping
In addition to industrial waste, Onondaga Lake has been contaminated by the release of chemicals such as mercury, carcinogens, and chlorinated benzenes. These chemicals have been dumped by corporations and have had severe ecological impacts. Efforts to remove these chemicals have been challenging, as they are difficult to contain and can recontaminate the lake.
The pollution of Onondaga Lake has been a long-standing issue, and despite significant cleanup efforts, there is still work to be done to restore the lake to its former glory. Onondaga Nation has been instrumental in advocating for the lake's restoration and has successfully reclaimed stolen land rights to facilitate further restoration.
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Cleanup efforts: EPA-led initiatives, Honeywell's role, and funding sources
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has been labelled "the most polluted lake in America". The lake has suffered from industrial and municipal sewage discharges for over a century, with unsafe pollution levels leading to a ban on ice harvesting as early as 1901. Swimming was prohibited by 1940, and fishing was banned in 1970 due to mercury contamination.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) have identified 11 subsites of the Onondaga Lake site to coordinate investigations and cleanup activities. The EPA approved a $23 million federal funding plan in May 2024 to address the contaminated floodplain soil and sediment at the Ley Creek Deferred Media portion of the GM-IFG subsite. An additional $7 million from an Onondaga Lake site-related bankruptcy settlement will be used for this project, which is anticipated to start in spring 2027 and will take three to four years to complete.
Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell), a successor to Allied Chemical (previously Solvay Process Company), plays an instrumental role in the remediation efforts. Honeywell has already cleaned factory sites and built an underground barrier wall to prevent contaminated groundwater from reaching the lake. The company is also investigating impacted shallow, intermediate, and deep groundwater at the Wastebeds 1-8 Subsite.
The NYSDEC sponsors events, webinars, public meetings, and environmental education sessions to address environmental justice issues and provide grants for community groups and municipalities.
The cleanup of Onondaga Lake is a complex and lengthy process, with projects at upland sites and contaminated lake tributaries in various stages of design, implementation, or completion. While progress has been made, some members of the Onondaga Nation have expressed that the cleanup does not go far enough for a site of significant cultural and historical importance.
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Environmental impact: ecosystem disruption, mercury contamination, and oxygen depletion
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has been labelled "the most polluted lake in America". The lake has been impacted by industrial and municipal sewage discharges for over 100 years, with unsafe levels of pollution leading to a ban on ice harvesting as early as 1901. Swimming was banned in 1940, and fishing was prohibited in 1970 due to mercury contamination.
Ecosystem Disruption
Onondaga Lake's ecosystem has been severely disrupted by pollution. The lake's water quality has been impacted by sewage and industrial discharges, with the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant ("Metro") providing almost 20% of the water flowing into the lake. The lake has also been affected by the discharge of ammonia and phosphorus, which have contributed to algal blooms. These blooms deplete the water of oxygen, inhibiting plant and fish life.
Mercury Contamination
Mercury contamination has been a significant issue for Onondaga Lake, with as much as 20 pounds of mercury dumped into the lake daily. This contamination led to the banning of fishing in 1970 and has continued to impact the lake's ecosystem.
Oxygen Depletion
The algal blooms caused by phosphorus and ammonia have resulted in oxygen depletion in the lake, making it difficult for fish to survive. Scientist Steve Effler has stated that there was so little oxygen in the lake that fish often swam right out of it.
The cleanup of Onondaga Lake is ongoing, with various investigations and remediation efforts being conducted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the EPA. The final phase of the cleanup is set to begin, and the lake's transformation is a positive sign for restoration projects worldwide.
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Regulatory actions: lawsuits, Consent Decree, and Clean Water Act
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has been labelled "the most polluted lake in America". The lake has been a sacred site for the Onondaga Nation, who have had a religious and cultural presence on its shores for centuries. The degradation of the lake was caused by industrial and municipal sewage discharges, with unsafe levels of pollution leading to the banning of ice harvesting as early as 1901, swimming in 1940, and fishing in 1970 due to mercury contamination.
In 1987, the Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF), a Syracuse-based environmental organisation, filed a lawsuit against Onondaga County. The lawsuit alleged that the Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant ("Metro") and the combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges were violating federal water pollution standards established under the Clean Water Act of 1972. The state of New York joined as a plaintiff, alleging that Onondaga County had also violated the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. This lawsuit prompted Onondaga County to eventually agree to upgrade its sewage treatment plant.
In addition to the lawsuit, a Consent Decree was signed between New York State and Allied-Signal, Inc. (now Honeywell, Inc.) detailing the elements of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study of the lake. This study was conducted by Honeywell, who also plays an instrumental role in the lake's remediation efforts, having already cleaned factory sites and built an underground barrier wall to prevent contaminated groundwater from seeping into the lake.
The EPA has also been involved in the cleanup efforts, providing $23 million in federal funding to address the contaminated floodplain soil and sediment at the Ley Creek Deferred Media portion of the GM-IFG subsite. The EPA has identified 11 subsites of the Onondaga Lake site to facilitate the coordination of investigations and cleanup activities.
Despite these regulatory actions and cleanup efforts, some members of the Onondaga Nation, such as Sid Hill, believe that more needs to be done to thoroughly clean up the lake and address the presence of dangerous toxins, including mercury, chlorinated benzenes, and carcinogens.
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Community response: public perception, activism, and Onondaga Nation's involvement
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, has long been considered one of the most polluted lakes in America. The lake, which is sacred to the Onondaga Nation, has suffered from industrial and municipal sewage discharges, chemical waste, and urbanization, leading to severe degradation. The public perception of the lake's pollution has been one of dismay and, at times, apathy. Many residents of Syracuse turned a blind eye to the issue, hoping it would resolve itself, while others took up activism to bring attention to the environmental disaster.
One notable act of activism was the creation of a large 'HELP' sign near the lake, giving a voice to the land and demanding attention to its plight. This, along with the tireless efforts of organizations like the Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF) and the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA), helped bring Onondaga Lake into the public eye.
The Onondaga Nation has been at the forefront of the fight to restore the lake. They invoked the legal system to reclaim stolen land rights and push for the restoration of the lake. Sid Hill, a leader of the Onondaga Nation, criticized the cleanup efforts as insufficient, stating that the site has important historical and cultural significance for his people. The Nation has outlined what they believe is missing from the current cleanup plan, including addressing the 18 million cubic yards of contamination that remain and the presence of difficult-to-remove chemicals like chlorinated benzenes and carcinogens.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the EPA have identified 11 subsites around Onondaga Lake to facilitate investigations and cleanup activities. The EPA has also provided $23 million in federal funding to begin cleaning up contaminated sediment and floodplain soil in Ley Creek, with an additional $7 million from a bankruptcy settlement. The cleanup work is anticipated to start in the spring of 2027 and will take three to four years to complete.
While the restoration of Onondaga Lake is ongoing, there is hope that the lake will be returned to its former glory, and the community's response has played a crucial role in bringing about these changes.
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Frequently asked questions
Onondaga Lake is a 4.5-mile-long and 1-mile-wide lake in Central New York, next to the city of Syracuse.
Onondaga Lake has been labelled "the most polluted lake in America" due to the unsafe levels of pollution from municipal waste and industrial dumping. Sewage treatment plants in the area have also been accused of violating federal water pollution standards.
The signs of pollution in Onondaga County include the presence of toxic mud, mercury contamination, and other toxins such as chlorinated benzenes, BTEX compounds, PCBs, and PAHs. The lake also experiences algal blooms, which inhibit plant and fish life.
Efforts have been made to control sewage pollution in Onondaga County, with the creation of the Syracuse Interceptor Sewage Board in 1907 and the establishment of a sewer district in 1960. The county has also upgraded its sewage treatment plant and implemented long-term monitoring systems to improve water quality. Cleanup projects are also in various stages of design, implementation, or completion.
After years of cleanup efforts, Onondaga Lake is undergoing a transformation, and swimming may be possible again in the future. The final phase of the cleanup is set to begin soon, with workers suctioning up to 10 feet of toxic mud from the lake.
