In recent years we’ve watched the Onondaga Lake Superfund remediation process begin to unfold. Now the watershed community is starting to talk about a different effort to help the lake: The Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR).
NRDAR is designed to deal with harm to natural resources that may not be remedied under the Superfund hazardous waste remediation. NRDAR requires the responsible parties to compensate the public for past and future injuries and loss of use of environmental resources resulting from the release of hazardous substances. This includes a requirement that the parties complete or pay for environmental restoration projects. The NRDAR process for the Onondaga Lake site is being coordinated by the Onondaga Nation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, collectively known as the Trustees.
To determine the amount of harm done to the natural resources of Onondaga Lake, the Trustees have developed a damage assessment plan. It can be found here: www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/ec/Onondaga_DAP_November_2011FinalDraft.pdf.
They are accepting public comment on the document through January 20, 2012. Please add your voice to the community conversation! Send your comments to Anne Secord at anne_secord@fws.gov.
