County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro announced today that a settlement has been reached on decade-old litigation between the Honeywell Corporation and the County regarding Onondaga Lake.

The litigation is an outgrowth of a 1989 lawsuit brought by the State of New York against Honeywell’s predecessor (Allied), to force the cleanup of hazardous substances resulting from more than a century of manufacturing in the Town of Geddes. In 1994, the company sued the County alleging that the County contributed to the mercury contamination in the Lake.

The settlement limits Onondaga County’s liability to a potential maximum of $1 million, and even then only if Honeywell first spends in excess of $200 million on lake remediation.

According to County Executive Pirro, “Our potential liability could have been as high as $100 million. With this agreement it’s capped at $1 million. In addition, it provides the County with double the current revenue for acceptance of overflow from the former Allied waste beds.”

Pirro went on to say that this settlement will prove beneficial to the overall clean-up of the industrial pollution of Onondaga Lake and continues to afford the people of Onondaga County a voice in the clean-up process for both the lake and the waste beds. Also, Onondaga County will avoid costs associated with decommissioning an old overflow pump station, installing a new one, and maintenance and repair of the overflow discharge pipeline. Those costs will be assumed by Honeywell.



Honeywell’s Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Kate Adams, signed a preliminary agreement on the settlement on behalf of Honeywell. Speaking of the settlement, she said, “resolving this litigation is an important step in our efforts to continue the cleanup of Onondaga Lake and its shoreline. County Executive Pirro’s commitment to protecting the future of Onondaga County and its resources has made this settlement possible. “The agreement will open the way for even closer cooperation among the County, the State of New York and Honeywell. We look forward to working together as the lake cleanup moves forward.”

Pirro pointed out that the agreement is subject to approval of the County Legislature and is expected to be considered at the March 1 session.

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