Water and Environmental Injustice
Syracuse has experienced a high level of water pollution for over a century, and it disproportionately affects certain communities.
Syracuse is the fifth-largest city in the state of New York with an approximate population of 140,000 (metropolitan area 600,000).
Onondaga Lake
Located northwest of the city of Syracuse, Onondaga Lake is bordered with industrial facilities and recreational areas including several parks. The lake is considered scared by the indigenous people. But due to the heavy pollution, it is now considered to be the most polluted lake in the United States.
"America's most polluted lake." -National Public Radio.
Environmental Injustice?
Onondaga Nation Reservation
Onondaga Nation is one of the five indigenous nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. For centuries, they relied on the Onondaga watershed for food sources. However, industrialization and water pollution that lasted over a century had significantly changed their way of living.
The Onondaga Nation has protested against the federal government's acquisition of its land and environmental degradation. Yet, in 2013, the Supreme Court dismissed the tribe's lawsuit claiming the ownership of large land in New York State.
The Onondaga Nation has also raised concerns about the ongoing clean-up plan by Honeywell Inc., suggesting that the current plan is not enough to clean up the contaminated shore.
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