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Workers install the new 36-inch water line at the Midland construction site
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Monthly report—December 2005
Clinton & Harbor Brook meetings held
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Work activities on the Midland Phase II project
during December included:
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Completed 95% of installation of the precast
concrete roof over the underground disinfection Tank.
Backfilling of three sides of the tank is 75%
completed.
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Continued the concrete pours for the vertical
walls of the underground storage tank and the RTF. In
total for the entire facility, 13,041 cubic yards of
concrete have been poured of an estimated 23,000 cubic
yards planned for the total facility.
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Resumed installing sheeting along the new
pipeline route on December 12. Removal of the cemented
gravel rock layer along the pipeline route by
subsurface blasting continued in December and should
be completed in January.
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The amount paid to the four prime contractors on
this project is over $20 million or 38.16% of the
entire contract.
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The public hearing on the Harbor Brook CSO Abatement Project Facility Plan (Aug 2005) was held on
Tuesday, December 6 with approximately thirty persons
from the public in attendance.
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Notices were mailed to nearly 900 residents and
businesses in the area, certified letters mailed to
property owners whose property may be needed for the
project, legal notices were placed in the
Environmental Notice Bulletin
and the
Syracuse Post-Standard.
Ads were run in the
Post-Standard
and Scotsman Pennysaver. Most of the comments received
had to do with mitigation measures related to the
project and the change proposed for the lower basin
pipeline.
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The public comment period ended on January 6.
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A responsiveness summary is being compiled.
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A public information meeting was held on the
Clinton Street CSO Abatement Project Facility Plan (Nov 2005) on Tuesday, November 29 at the MOST. Notices
were sent to over 250 residents and businesses in the
Armory Square area and ads were placed in local
newspapers. About 20-30 people attended. The public
comment period closed December 30 for any additional
comments. A responsiveness summary is being compiled.
(ACJ completion date—Phase II RTF—5/01/04 & Phase III Conveyance—5/01/07 Milestone revisions requested)
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A shovel places blasting mats along the route of the 144-inch pipeline for Midland
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Concrete pours continued this month for vertical walls
in both the underground storage tank and treatment
area of the facility. Total amount of concrete
poured to date is 13,041 cubic yards of an estimated 23,000
cubic yards for the completed facility.
Subsurface blasting continued this month to assist in
removal of a cemented gravel layer of rock that could
not be excavated by backhoe. Installation of sheeting
along the 144-inch pipeline was previously put on hold
due to the presence of this hard rock layer along the
pipeline route. During December, work on installing
the sheeting for the pipeline resumed in the areas
where the cemented gravel rock layer had been removed.
It is estimated that the necessary blasting work
should be finished in January.
Dewatering of the site continued with daily sampling
and flow rates taken. Additional dewatering wells were
installed this month in the area of the pipeline.
Geotechnical monitoring instrumentation reports
continue to be compiled and submitted to the County.
As of December 30, 38% of the contract time has been
expended, and 38.16% of the contract funds for the
four main contractors and their subcontractors has
been expended. Over one-third of Phase II has been
completed.
Upcoming work
Work anticipated for January 2006 includes:
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Continued removal of hard cemented gravel rock
for 144-inch conveyance with limited subsurface
blasting
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Completion of installation of precast concrete
roof structure for the underground disinfection tank
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Continuation of wall pours in storage tank and
treatment facility areas
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Connection of the existing 84-inch Tallman Street
pipeline to the RTF
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Further installation of steel sheeting along the
pipeline route where blasting has taken place
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Continued dewatering in wet well area.
Midland Phase III activities
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Installation of precast concrete roof on Midland underground disinfection tank
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The 25% plan and profile design continues. The
engineering report and basis of design are being
prepared.
(ACJ dates—Commence construction of conveyances and RTF—May 1, 2003—Milestone revision requested.)
A public information meeting was held on Tuesday,
November 29 at the MOST on the draft Clinton Street CSO Abatement Project Facility Plan (Nov 2005) and Clinton CSO Abatement: Environmental Information Document (Nov 2005).
About 20-30 people attended. The public comment period
closed December 30, 2005 and a responsiveness summary
is being compiled. A public hearing will be scheduled.
The initial draft facility plan was released to the
public in March 2002. The 2005 plan includes a
specific recommendation for technology and siting. The
goal of the Clinton project is to address the
abatement of eleven CSOs between Fayette and Oneida
streets to be served by a Clinton area facility
located near downtown Syracuse. The Facility Plan evaluates
alternative technologies to address the overflows and
alternative sites for a storage-treatment facility and
includes a recommended plan and site near Clinton
Street between the elevated railroad tracks and the
creek.
(ACJ completion date for in-water system—7/1/02—Not implementable—Milestone Revision requested)
Public hearing held on Harbor Brook CSO Abatement Project Facility Plan (Aug 2005) and Harbor Brook Environmental Information Document (Aug 2005):
The
public hearing on the project was held Tuesday,
December 6 at the zoo. A public informational meeting
preceded the hearing. About thirty persons attended.
Nearly 900 notices were mailed to area residents,
property owners, and others about the hearing. In
addition, legal notices and ads were placed in the
local papers.
Comments focused on suggestions for mitigation
measures and questions on the revised pipeline route
along a portion of Park Avenue.
The public comment period ends Friday, January 6, and a
responsiveness summary will be compiled.
The initial draft Harbor Brook facility plan was
released in March 2002. The draft plan outlined and
evaluated alternative technologies and sites for
facilities to abate and treat the eighteen CSOs that
release to Harbor Brook. The current Facility Plan
recommends specific technologies and sites that
includes two regional storage and treatment
facilities, five underground floatables control
facilities, upgrading two pumping stations, and
installation of conveyance pipeline to transport CSO
flow to the facilities. The sites identified for
purchase for the storage and treatment facilities are
on vacant private owned land.
The County continues to be an active member of the
Lake Partnership with participation in the Executive
Committee, the Project Committee and the Outreach
Committee.
After reviewing the County's report on its 2004
Ambient Monitoring Program dated October 2005, the
State DEC formally approved the report in a letter
dated December 29, 2005.
The following projects were completed since July 2002.
They are not included in the list of interim
projects.)
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Ammonia-phosphorus removal combined project (Metro)
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Tallman-Onondaga sewer separation project (CSO)
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Brighton sewer separation project (CSO)
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Water Street sewer separation (CSO)
The following is a summary of the projects completed
under Appendix B pages 10-12 of the Amended Consent
Judgment. Each of these ten CSO-related projects had
a major milestone completion date of July 1, 2002.
Some of these interim projects were completed well
ahead of the major milestone date and all except two
met the major milestone date.
The projects are listed below by date completed:
Sampling conducted this month included:
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Routine biweekly tributary sampling conducted on December 3 and 27
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Biweekly South Deep sampling of the Lake was conducted on December 6
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No river sampling was conducted this month.
Field and laboratory activities are complete for the
2005 monitoring season for the fisheries program.
Completed laboratory sorting and QA/QC of the Lake
macroinvertebrate samples collected in June 2005.
New contracts. None to report.
Amendments to existing contracts:
Clinton conveyances and RTF:
Contract with Environmental Engineering Associates,
LLP (EEA) amended for revisions needed to facilities
plan and EID, and additional public meetings.
Contract amendment amount: $17,396.00. Executed
12/14/05.
Change orders. None to report.
Action items of the County Legislature in December: no items.
Upcoming for January legislative session: No items.
Upcoming for January committee:
Authorizing the
County of Onondaga to act as lead agency under the
State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and the
State Environmental Review Process, determining the
classification of a Type I Action, accepting the draft
environmental document prepared for the Harbor Brook
CSO Abatement project, adopting the negative
declaration, making a determination and findings for
public use.
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Installing the 36-inch water line at Midland
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State Bond Act funds:
Payments received this month from State Bond
Act funds: None to report.
Total received to date in State Bond Act funds: $85,051,323.
Federal EPA funds: None to report.
Total received to date in Federal EPA funds:
$63,056,835.
Federal Army Corps of Engineers funds: None to
report.
Total received to date from U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers funds: $7,069,365.
The following reimbursement payments were
received from EFC during December: None to report.
Total reimbursement monies received to date through
EFC Loans for the funded ACJ projects: $159,069,198
(short term), $10,303,528 (long term).
 Chronology of project construction starts
Contractors for construction projects
Lake Improvement Project Office
Grants and loans applied for—not yet approved
Grants received
Financial status report
—Midland photos courtesy of Ken Jackson, CDM
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Susan Miller, Project Deputy Director
Onondaga County Dept of Water Environment Protection