On September 7 I received several calls from residents in regards to odors. Honeywell received the same calls and responded immediately. A team is sent out to investigate. After the initial response the DEC reviews and then accompanies Honeywell on a secondary visit. The Town Board met with representatives from Honeywell as well as the NYS DEC, which has oversight on the lake clean up issue. The DEC assured us that at no time were there any health related issues to be concerned about. That being said our next main issue was quality of life. Due to the cool evening air and no to low winds, the odors would lay in low lying areas and as the sun rose and the day began to warm the smells began to travel.
The DEC is working with Honeywell at several different options to eliminate and mitigate these odors in the short/long term. A misting system was one of the options discussed and installed. We were also told that some of the smells are being traced back to OCRRA as well as an individual near Warners & Airport Road, who was cited for illegally burning plastics and metal. The NYS DEC is working with the NYS Department of Health to draft a letter to local resident’s to explain the situation and the remedy. Air quality monitoring results are posted daily and can be found at www.lakecleanup.com/health-and-safety/air-monitoring/. Air monitoring takes place 24/7 and any concerns should be directed to 315-313-8068.