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Onondaga County nomination for 2002 Municipal Achievement Award

Summary

Onondaga County's recognition of the importance of the natural environment and their commitment to responsible stewardship of the natural resources within the County is embodied in the County Environmental Policy. This policy was established by County Executive Nicholas Pirro in Executive Order 1-93. The Order states:

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the County of Onondaga to be a responsible steward for the natural resources under County management, and to give all due consideration to the environmental implications of the County's actions in planning and decision-making at all levels.

Following is a summary of some of the programs and projects initiated Onondaga County that have benefited the environment in Onondaga County.

Significant environmental programs, initiatives, and projects

Environmental policy

The true level of commitment of any organization to environmental stewardship begins with the organization's leader. County Executive Pirro sent a strong message to the over 4,000 County of Onondaga employees when he established a comprehensive County Environmental Policy by Executive Order. In that Order County Executive Pirro stated: "The County views protection of the environment as a fundamental obligation and priority." The Policy further states: "The County will be a responsible steward for the natural resources under County management by identifying and protecting sensitive natural systems for which the County is directly responsible, and by working cooperatively with federal, state and community organizations to further mutual goals for natural resource protection."

This comprehensive environmental policy, first established back in the early 1990s, was later supplemented and strengthened by environmental policy specifically addressing such areas as: 1) Integrated Pest Management, to reduce the use by County departments of toxic pesticides; 2) the Purchase and Use of Recycled Products to promote recycling as a desirable alternative to disposal of waste; and 3) a policy on Mercury-Containing Products, which specifically calls for the reduction in use of, as well as recycling of products containing mercury by the County Departments.

County Office of Environment

In 1990, Onondaga County formed the County Office of Environment. This office serves on behalf of the County Executive to:

  • Establish policies and procedures to standardize and more effectively and efficiently manage the County's environmental compliance activities.
  • Reduce the extent to which County activities require regulatory oversight through the use of pollution prevention concepts.
  • Examine the environmental compliance policies and procedures of County departments and provide assistance in their development and/or enhancement as appropriate.
  • Help promote and organize environmental awareness and training programs.
  • Investigate environmental incidents involving the County.
  • Identify and evaluate emerging environmental issues.
  • Coordinate the County's response to community environmental issues.
  • Report regularly to the County Executive and County Legislature on the status of the County's environmental management concerns.

Created Council on Environmental Health

In 1996 Onondaga County consolidated the functions of two citizen's advisory boards (the County Environmental Management Council and the County Water Quality Management Agency) into one advisory board: The Council on Environmental Health (CEH). The CEH is an official County citizen's advisory board that serves as environmental health advisor to the County Executive, the County Health Commissioner and the County Legislature. The Council's citizen members have a broad mandate to offer oversight of all air, water and land use programs and related activities within the County. The CEH has offered recommendations and/or input on such issues as wetlands banking, lead prevention, mosquito surveillance programs, remediation of hazardous waste sites, solutions to environmental health concerns in the Skaneateles Lake Watershed and reducing pollution from two-cycle marine engines.

Energy initiatives

In response to changes in Petroleum Bulk Storage regulations, the County has supported a proactive approach to ensure that all County fuel facilities meet stringent environmental standards. This has resulted in the removal of over 200 fuel tank systems and the replacement of about 130 fuel facilities that meet all current federal and state construction and operating requirements. The Fuel Facilities Program includes the remediation of fuel spills, and the monthly inspection by a qualified firm of all fuel facilities.

Cleaner/Greener anti-litter campaign

In 2001 County Executive Pirro conceived of and funded a County Cleaner/Greener program to address the community's growing litter problem and to enhance the appearance of the community. In seeking community support and involvement in this aggressive community beautification effort, Mr. Pirro stated: "The appearance of this great community is our collective responsibility. We live, play, work, raise our children and entertain our future in this locale we call Onondaga County. As County Executive, I have initiated a community-wide beautification awareness and action plan. In an effort to move our city, towns and villages from BETTER TO BEST, I pledge leadership and the resources necessary to organize this initiative and facilitate collaboration among committed individuals, neighborhood groups, businesses, youth, schools, governments and every citizen. Please become involved." In addition to the focus on litter, the County's Cleaner/Greener Program includes County and federal funding for a new street sweeper in Syracuse; County and federal funding for storm water catch basin improvements; and a public outreach/educational effort to reduce the amount of debris (trash, leaves, etc.) from entering City storm sewers.

Brownfields redevelopment

Tax delinquent properties involving potential environmental site contamination represent a unique challenge for the County. Federal legislation exempts local governments who become temporary owners of contaminated tax delinquent property from hazardous waste site cleanup liability, but New York State law does not. As a consequence, such properties were left in their contaminated condition for many years. In 2001 Onondaga County proposed a pilot program involving an approach intended to allow for the remediation and redevelopment of environmentally contaminated, tax delinquent property with minimal risk to the County. The process involves the remediation of contaminated tax-delinquent sites under a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement (VCA) with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, and results in the return of contaminated properties to the tax rolls and redevelopment of sites that would otherwise remain tax delinquent and undeveloped indefinitely.

Solid waste management

Managing solid waste in Onondaga County, as in all communities, is a tremendous challenge. The County has established a self-sufficient solid waste management system that today includes an award winning, community-wide recycling program (recycled over 705,000 tons in 2001).

Water quality

The County owns and operates 8 sewage treatment plants, maintains hundreds of miles of sewer lines, and numerous pump stations and CSO control facilities. To aid in operation and maintenance of their facilities, the County developed a computerized O&M manual, and developed one database for the entire system. This includes all of the wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, sewers, and CSO control structures.

In 1995, Onondaga County signed a Federal Court Order mandating over 30 individual wastewater collection and treatment projects to be completed to improve water quality in Onondaga Lake. The County estimates that the cost of these projects will be at least $380 million wastewater collection and treatment system upgrade to improve water quality in Onondaga Lake. The completion of these projects will contribute in a substantial way to the improvement of water quality in Onondaga Lake. While the original schedule calls for the completion of all of these projects by the year 2012, the County's intent is to accelerate that schedule so that all of the major improvements are completed and in place as soon as 2007. To date, the County has completed or is under construction on the vast majority of these projects.

County has provided financial support to match federally funded Onondaga Lake Partnership projects, which are unrelated to wastewater collection and treatment upgrades. This includes such projects as: in-lake habitat improvement structures, installation of agricultural environmental management systems in the Onondaga Lake Watershed, stream and road bank stabilization projects in the Onondaga Lake Watershed.

Onondaga County also has a longstanding and active partnership with the City of Syracuse in efforts to protect the City water supply at Skaneateles Lake, and has worked cooperatively with other counties, towns and village governments in that watershed. Completed in 1998, Onondaga County, the City of Syracuse Water Department and Onondaga County Cornell Cooperative Extension jointly produced a Skaneateles Lake Management Plan. This plan provided a planning and implementation framework for stakeholders to use for lake and watershed protection as the new decade commenced. The County also participates on the ad-hoc Skaneateles Lake Milfoil Task Force along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Onondaga County Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Skaneateles Lake Tri-County Lake Association, City of Syracuse, and Cornell University researchers. This group provides a means of communication and the collective development of activities and strategies to address the lake milfoil issue.

Onondaga County has also lent support to multi-county proposals to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the control of water chestnuts in Oneida Lake and the Seneca-Oswego-Oneida Rivers. The unchecked spread of this invasive plant will likely have significant economic, environmental and aesthetic consequences for one of Central New York's most important waterways. The County feels that the long-term control and eradication of water chestnuts from Oneida Lake and the Seneca-Oswego-Oneida system will require a multifaceted partnership, including public and private entities.

Biosolids beneficial reuse program

The County of Onondaga owns and operates eight wastewater treatment plants. The County is in its eighth year for operation of a 240 tons per day beneficial use processing facility for wastewater treatment plant biosolids (sludge). Since the inception of this effort in 1994, 415,000 tons of biosolids produced by the County treatment plants have been processed into a soil product called N-Viro™ Soil, which has been used an a aglime in the agricultural industry in some twelve counties in Central New York. In the last five years, an average of over 87% of all biosolids produced by Onondaga County have been recycled for beneficial use in this fashion. The system has received the 1998 Governor's Waste Reduction and Recycling Program Innovation Award, as well as the 2000 New York State Water Environment Association first Beneficial Use of Bio-Solids Award.

Earth Day neighborhood cleanups

In 1990 Onondaga County, with help from the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, began a tradition that is now known as the Annual Earth Day Cleanup. Since then, every April hundreds of groups and thousands of people spread out across Onondaga County to help clean up litter and remove debris that has collected over the winter.

Onondaga County 2010 Development Guide

In 1991, the County drafted and adopted the Comprehensive Plan for the County of Onondaga. The plan seeks to preserve natural resources, including wetlands, steep slopes, water quality, farmland, air quality and natural beauty by creating compact urban areas. The plan requires cost-effective infrastructure, development at urban densities and reinvestment in existing community centers. The 2010 Development Guide uses the County's responsibility for environmental infrastructure - trunk sewers and wastewater treatment plants - to prevent sprawl. A Coordinated Review is required for all major projects that seek to extend or expand infrastructure beyond the existing urbanized area. The County's policy is to refrain from extending new infrastructure until there is a true need for additional urban land. The 2010 Development Guide was updated and expanded in 1999, and the format was improved to assist towns and villages in sound planning decisions.

Clean Cities Program

The U.S. Department of Energy created the "Clean Cities Program" to achieve Federal Energy Policy Act program goals and to coordinate objectives of governments on other air quality improvement initiatives. Soon after the creation of the Clean Cities Program the County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Energy to signify Onondaga County's commitment to contribute to the goals of the program, and to enable the County to utilize federal funding to accelerate the introduction and expanded use of alternative fuels and alternative fuels vehicles in the county. Under this program the county has benefited from such air quality improvement projects as the establishment of natural gas fueling stations for natural gas buses, the placement of electric vehicles in the county, construction and operation of an Alternative Fuels Training Center at Onondaga Community College (OCC) and the introduction of four new environmental degree programs at OCC.