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Onondaga Creek has had a long and varied history, at times providing wonderful scenery and opportunity for recreational activities; currently, regarded for its supposed danger and suffering from neglect. As a main source of water going into Onondaga Lake and an endangered body of water itself, it might make sense to keep the creek clean if we are to address the high levels of water pollution in Onondaga Lake and other nearby bodies of water. Such was the case in the last years of the century, when Onondaga County, under County Executive Nick Pirro, began developing plans for several sewage treatment plants, or Regional Treatment Facilities, along the creek to address these very issues – the most challenged of which and the only facility built to date is located in the South Side neighborhood on Midland Avenue.

Early on, neighborhood residents were concerned about the effects the Regional Treatment Facility would have on the community. Shortly after the County announced its plans for the sewage treatment project the NAACP took action to address the racism and disparity between how different neighborhoods would be affected. This was followed by increased community initiative first through the Syracuse United Neighbors, leading to the formation of the Partnership for Onondaga Creek – from the start composed of neighborhood residents, community activists and allies working together to challenge both the project and the process, to demand a search for alternatives.

“The county wasn’t trying to give anyone a chance,” says Louise Poindexter, member of the Partnership since its early stages. The Partnership provided neighborhood residents with the opportunity to discuss the issues around the projects and demand “not in our neighborhood!” Through research and strategic relationships, the group of neighbors continued to inform themselves and the community about the chemicals which would be used in the facility, the impacts on the community, and alternatives to the County’s adopted plans. Rather than the massive, above ground facility pumping cancer-causing chemicals into the air, residents suggested a facility with underground storage without the use of chemicals such as chlorine, a smaller above-ground building for odor control, and sewage separation to handle rain water and waste sewage separately.

In the now 10 year long struggle, the Partnership has continued to demand that city residents be at the table, participating in the decision making process. From protests and marches, to working with city and county legislators, attracting national attention, to legal challenges addressing disparity between plans for the South Side and those on the North Side in Franklin Square, the Partnership has used a variety of strategies to make their demands heard. Challenges included widespread misinformation, such as the belief that the projects were a done deal. Gary Bonaparte, who joined the group just before the building of the Midland facility began, describes the process as “always an uphill battle – progress is fleeting.” Despite moments of interest and support from the Department of Environmental Conservation, individual politicians and others, the struggle continued as the price tag increased from $55 million to the more than $148 million already put into the project, forcing over 40 families to leave their homes with 60 more that will be affected by the 7,700 feet of pipeline in the third phase of the project.

In early 2007, Mayor Matt Driscoll and County Executive Nick Pirro came to an “Intermunicipal Agreement” on the sewage treatment projects, following years of court decisions and appeals regarding the County’s use of City land. For a period of time, the City of Syracuse refused to give the County permission to build the projects on city land. Regardless, the County under the resolve of Pirro went ahead with construction during this time, with the Regional Treatment Facility nearly three quarters built when the two politicians met behind closed doors. In the agreement, legal cases between the two levels of government were dropped, with an additional obligation on the part of the City to join the County in any lawsuit brought by city residents regarding the projects. Throughout the construction of the first two phases of the Midland facility, the promises of politicians and developers again rang empty. Having been promised the benefit of jobs for neighborhood residents, the reality became one of racial discrimination and limited work for those living nearby.

As part of the Intermunicipal Agreement, the County also promised $15 million in mitigation money for the four communities affected by the sewage projects. This money was approved through the agreement and community task forces were charged with deciding what the money would be used for. This money, however, would provide little compared to the effects of the project on the community. To complicate the issue even more, earlier this year the $3 million in mitigation money for the area near the Midland facility was wrapped in with another price increase for phase three of the Midland facility, even though the mitigation funds had been approved in the agreement made over a year earlier. On March 4 of this year, county legislators voted to bond an additional $22 million for the third phase of the Midland Avenue project that includes 7,700 feet of pipeline. The pipeline would provide extra storage during big storms, a rare occurrence that could be addressed by less intrusive means. The problem, beyond the mitigation money already having been approved, is that this unnecessary phase of the project will affect 60 more families along the creek, though none of these families live within the area to benefit from the $3 million. This bond approval, as with many instances before, showed political incompetence for what it truly is. Rather than taking the time to take a look at what the $22 million would be used for, or if it would be necessary at all, County legislators went to vote based on the word of Nick Pirro and developers who will directly benefit from the projects. County legislators were led to believe that the pipeline would be necessary to operate the facility, and that if the bond proposal was not approved that the mitigation money would be lost. Neither of these were the case. The county voted to approve the same $3 million a second time, along with it literally throwing $22 million down the sewers for an unnecessary pipeline.

In late April of this year it was announced, with Joanie Mahoney as the new County Executive, that the County will explore alternative options to current plans for Armory Square and the other remaining facilities. These alternatives include less disruptive and more environmentally progressive technology. These developments reinforce the importance of community organizing to inform and empower ourselves, as well as making our voices heard to local representatives and officials in government in matters which effect our lives. After ten long years, it seemed as if the work of the Partnership for Onondaga Creek achieved a major victory, though in the matter of justice on the Southside neighborhood there remains much more to be seen.

The Partnership for Onondaga Creek continues to make city resident’s voices heard as these projects move forward and other issues arise. By joining together, neighbors were able to achieve some victories by reducing the overall size of the Midland Avenue facility and including at least some underground storage. With the recent news regarding the remaining facilities, the group continues to push for alternatives to the Phase III pipeline and changes in the Midland facility to omit the use of chlorine and other chemicals. “You’ve got to try your best and can’t ever give up,” Louise reminded. Louise and Gary both pointed out that although the focus has largely been on the Midland facility, the impact of the projects is far reaching. “It’s not just happening in Syracuse – its happening all over. When they succeed in one place, the more they want to do it again.” From coal mining on sovereign Native land in the Southwest, to forced removal of Latinos in El Barrio, NYC, to military and economic aggression in countries across the world, if the power of the few goes unchecked there is no telling what they’ll try to do next.

In Syracuse and Central New York, discrimination and racism are far from history. Economic distress and looming developers looking to “improve” the Near Westside and other city neighborhoods, increasing harassment and racial profiling of darker-skinned people, and more serve as constant reminders that in order to improve our lives we have to stand up for ourselves, and it will continue to be a struggle.