Onondaga County will receive more federal help as it cleans up one of the most polluted lakes in the nation.
The county will receive $20 million to help fund sewer projects focused on cleaning up Onondaga Lake.
The amount awarded is a part of a $432 million grant to finance water infrastructure projects in the state of New York
The grant is under the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act, better known as the stimulus package, and is the largest grant ever given to a state.
During periods of heavy rain or melting snow, the sewers in Syracuse overflow and as a result the sewage pollutes Onondaga Lake.
Although several projects have been started to prevent the overflow of sewage into the lake, the projects funded through ARRA will focus on several areas.
ARRA funding will support the planning, designing, and creating of many sewage abatement projects.
The projects are designed to reduce sewer discharge into Onondaga Lake from Syracuse by using green infrastructure and storm water reducing methods.
“The projects would generate jobs, money in the community, while helping the environment. It’s a win-win situation”, says Tom Riley, the conservation chair of the Onondaga Audubon Society.
Riley also said that the clean water projects are “a smart investment for the future.”
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