Syracuse Green or Gross? University Students Take A Closer Look. On Day 78, first-year students from Syracuse University represented Superfund365, visiting the site Onondaga Lake, less than 10 miles north of their campus.  There they found majestic views and wildlife as well as billowing smokestacks and pretty disgusting water at the shore's edge. Several snapped panoramic views with their cameras capturing the dense vegetation and boaters out on the lake. Many wondered what lurked beneath the surface knowing the area's industrial history and its Superfund designation. Following, the students explain how the lake came to be the "most polluted lake in America" and why bans on swimming (1940) and fishing (1970) are still in effect today despite restoration efforts. From the students: About four and a half miles long and a mile wide, the picturesque Onondaga Lake is situated just north of Syracuse, New York. An aerial shot unveils a bucolic scene with its surrounding green fields dotted with clusters of trees and the roofs of farmhouses. However, a closer look at this lake reveals remnants of its damaging past. Onondaga County had once been a very prosperous county, which can be accredited mostly to the success of Onondaga Lake. The area thrived during the 1800s and during the height of the commercial salt industry, which gave Syracuse its title as the "Salt City." Many resorts had been built along the coastline of the lake, which brought an influx of revenue from tourism. Along with the salt industry and tourism, Onondaga Lake also boasted a strong cold-water fishery, which produced vast commercial amounts of Onondaga Lake Whitefish and Atlantic salmon. By the turn of the century, the success of the lake began to decline. During the 1900s the commercial success of Onondaga County came to a halt as tourism and fishing declined due to rising pollution and the ban on swimming in 1940, and fishing in 1970. The lake had also merited the title of one of the "most polluted lakes in America" due to heavy metal contaminants. However, it wasn't until 1994 that the lake landed a spot on the Superfund National Priority List of sites. The main sources responsible for the pollution of Onondaga Lake include the large corporations and industries present along the lake's shores, and the improper disposal of the county's municipal wastes and sewage. During the Industrial Revolution the Solvay Process Company utilized the lake's natural resources to produce soda ash and other organic chemicals. The other major large corporations that significantly contributed to the vast amount of pollution in the lake include Allied-Signal Inc. and Honeywell International. The major problems with pollution include high levels of phosphorous, salt, ammonia and other nitrates, mercury and other toxic substances, including chlorobenzene. Chlorobenzene can lead to unconsciousness, muscle spasms, and damage to bone marrow in humans. In animals, it can harm internal organs and blood. In 2004, aerospace giant Honeywell Inc. agreed to spend $451 million to clean up contaminated sediments in Onondaga Lake. Honeywell became the party responsible for the contamination after buying Allied-Signal in 1999. Onondaga County is also currently spending $500 million on a 15-year project to curb discharges of untreated sewage into the lake. The state has spent some $125 million since 1995 to improve water quality at the lake - the federal government has spent more than $100 million on the effort. State regulators required Honeywell Inc. to pay for the cleanup after the company tried to implement a more limited cleanup that would cost the company only $237 million, about half of the initial cost. Companies like Honeywell are trying to cut corners on cleanup by choosing a less expensive and as a result, less thorough cleaning of the polluted site. Honeywell's proposal of $237 million instead of $448 million demonstrates corporations' unwillingness to devote the necessary time and money to clean up messes because that would cost them money. According to the Honeywell website, "We are building a world that's safer and more secure, more comfortable and energy efficient, more innovative and productive." Honeywell claims that they are trying to build a world that is 'safer' however their words do not match their actions. A proposed solution for the cleanup of Onondaga Lake involves dredging an estimated 2.7 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and waste. 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. Researchers hope that such a plan will be a success in decreasing mercury levels and overall improving the condition of Onondaga Lake. In 2006, the city of Syracuse was named the 17th greenest "or most environmentally friendly" city by National Geographic. The magazine chose cities that "are providing energy-efficient, least polluting and healthy living spaces - those cities whose green achievements set the standard for others". National Geographic rates each city on eleven environmental criteria ranging from air quality to energy proficiency. Syracuse made the list because of "good air, smoking bans and commitment to reduce greenhouse gases." The ultimate irony of this accolade is that about five miles away is Onondaga Lake, the most polluted lake in the country. THIS WAS A GROUP WRITING EFFORT BY TIM KIANKA, COURTNEY ALLESSIO, AMY MARISAVLJEVIC, BLAIR DUDIK, PIERSON TRIMARCHI, ALYSSA ROGERS, RACHAEL DATELLO, MATT CONTE, JUSTIN ARENA, STEPHANIE MUSAT, ZACK OWENS and JASON WANG. MANY THANKS FROM SF365!

Email Recap Index: Superfund365 Launches! Around NYC Bacteria Eating Bugs and Radium Jaw in New Jersey The 4th Anniversary Report More, More, More New Jersey Jimmy Hoffa's Grave, Sledding on E-Waste and a Lamb Named Snowball A Town Built on "Clean Fill," The Winning Raybestos Brakettes and Their Losing Field and Why Still No Ban on Asbestos? Senate Subcommittee Superfund Hearing A Scientific Study Brings out the Skeptics and, Please, Do Overwhelm Us with the Data! Copper Mining in Vermont -- It's Not All Maple Syrup and Fall Foliage Syracuse Green or Gross? University Students Take A Closer Look Supersized: The Longest Superfund Site (the Hudson River) Thanks to One of The Largest Companies in the World (General Electric)