CAMILLUS -- Actor Alec Baldwin brought his star power to the battle between Camillus residents, the state DEC, and Honeywell.
Some Camillus residents are opposed to the DEC and Honeywell's plan to dump toxic sediment in their area. They say they want the lake to be cleaned but the residents all live in the area where the Department of Environmental Conservation wants to put the toxic sediment removed from the lake. In 2012, the DEC plans to dredge the lake and put the toxic sediment taken out in Wastebed 13.
Baldwin said the issues is close to him because his mother and sister live in the area. He said, "That area has changed where those wastebeds exist. That area has changed. There are houses there. And people are raising their families there. And there are schools there. And there are children there. Who knows what the toxological state of those sites are now."
Pat Rector, an Outreach Educator with SUNY Upstate said, "When possible risks of exposure are great and many uncertainties exist, it is better to err on the side of caution rather than await health effects that later prove adverse."
The residents didn't say if they are planning legal action. The Town of Camillus has hired an environmental attorney.
A spokesperson for Honeywell released a statement saying: "The safe disposal of materials removed from Onondaga Lake is an important next step in the cleanup and restoration of this important community asset for the entire Syracuse area. Honeywell is working under the direction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the agencies' lake cleanup plan that was approved in 2005. Since the first public meeting, which was held in the Town of Camillus in 2004, we have incorporated town input into the lake cleanup design. We will continue to seek additional input."
