Onondaga County lawmakers want to know what the public thinks about local water and wastewater concerns at a public hearing tonight.
Onondaga County Public Hearing: water, wastewater, and environment.
The impacts Micron might have on local waterways will likely be top of the agenda. But Onondaga Lake Watch is concerned about a somewhat hidden problem. Group founder Maria Tickner would like residents to speak up about ongoing pollution issues in and around the lake.
“If they have concerns of things that they're seeing, odors that they're smelling, a lot of that is related to or can be related to wastewater and pollution," Tickner said.
The hearing by the Legislature's Environmental Protection Committee will follow the group's normal meeting.
"A lot of the times I'm hearing that DEC is claiming that there are no odors present in areas (around Onondaga Lake). We're continually seeing that, so we need voices to speak about those things," added Tickner.
In addition to raw sewage spills in the lake, a growing concern of the group is the health threat of mercury. Tickner says it can transported by wind and is present in soil, both of which can transfer the dangerous neuro-toxin to the brain.
The water and wastewater public hearing runs 5:30 to 7:30 tonight in the Syracuse Central Library.
