Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Partnership for Onondaga Creek.
Title:	Partnership for Onondaga Creek Records
Inclusive Dates:	1998-2023
Quantity:	2.5 linear ft.
Abstract:	Clippings, correspondence, legal material, event records, reports, and media of the Partnership for Onondaga Creek
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

The Partnership for Onondaga Creek (POC) was a grassroots environmental justice group formed in Syracuse, NY in 2000.

In 1999, Onondaga County announced its plan to evict 35 low-income Black residents in order to build a sewage treatment plant on the south side of the city of Syracuse, New York. The plan to remove the Black residents was seen as one more instance of the local government demolishing Black neighborhoods for urban renewal projects, beginning in the 1960s with the leveling of the 15th Ward, a majority Black neighborhood, for the construction of Route 81. Moreover, residents argued that the sewage treatment plant could negatively affect the quality of life for the surrounding community. Southside residents and concerned citizens formed the POC in 2000, and for the next decade the organization advocated for green infrastructure as an alternative to the plant.

In 2004, the POC filed a Title VI complaint to fight the construction of the sewage treatment facility. Their complaint was dismissed by the EPA’s Office of Civil Rights in 2005, but in 2008, the POC and its allies were able to convince the county to modify the plan and embrace green solutions. The POC ceased operations in 2013.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Partnership for Onondaga Creek Records contains clippings, correspondence, event records, legal material, promotional material, reports, and miscellaneous media.

Clippings contains newspaper clippings related to the planning and construction of the Midland Avenue Regional Treatment Facility (RTF) and actions by the Partnership for Onondaga Creek.

Correspondence contains communication between the POC, regional politicians, and assorted government bodies. Politicians represented include Syracuse mayors Roy Bernardi (served 1994-2001) and Matt Driscoll (2001-2009), Onondaga County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro, New York State governors George Pataki (1995-2006) and Eliot Spitzer (2006-2008), and the Senate offices of Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton. Governmental offices represented include the Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The majority of correspondence relates to the Midland Avenue RTF and the POC’s Title VI complaint.

Event records contains invitations, flyers, permits, attendance lists, and photographs from events hosted by or including the POC.

Legal material contains documents relating to the 2004 Title VI complaint filed by the POC regarding the Midland Avenue RTF.

Promotional material includes form letters, phone scripts, press releases, a photograph of a POC billboard, and a POC zine with an assortment of protest chants. It also includes VHS and USB copies of the “Not in My Back Yard” news program and a USB drive containing the files from the POC’s website.

Reports are by members of the POC, and cover topics such as environmental injustice, green infrastructure, and sewage plans.

Miscellaneous media consists of CDs and a DVD presumed to contain photographs and presentations.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Clippings and correspondence are arranged chronologically, and the rest of the collection is arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Access to recordings requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Partnership for Onondaga Creek Records,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Aggie Lane, 2023.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: DTF
Date: 12 May 2023
Revision history: 25 Oct 2023 - collection processed (SAB)

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Inventory

	Clippings
Box 1		General 1998-2011 - newspaper clippings related to the Midland RTF, regional politicians' views on environmental activism, and POC actions. (10 folders)

	Correspondence
Box 2		General Oct 1999 - Aug 2007 - communication between the POC, politicians, and other activist groups primarily related to the Midland RTF construction and the Title VI complaint. (11 folders)
Box 3		General Aug 2007 - Jul 2014 - communication primarily regarding the construction of further regional treatment facilities in Onondaga County and other environmental policy issues. (2 folders)

	Event records
Box 3		Annual progress meeting 2004-2005
Box 3		Community and Resistance tour 2010
Box 3		Creek walk 2000
Box 3		Let's get it right! 2004 - posters and opening remarks for an environmental activist speaking event
Box 3		Martin Luther King Jr. march, rally, and press conference 2005, 2007
Box 3		Meetings with officials 2005, 2007
Box 3		National Environmental Justice Conference 2010
Box 3		Press conference, Albany 1998
Box 3		Public hearing 2008
Box 3		Reclaim our Creek rally 2004
Box 3		Water precious water 2006 - pamphlets for a community festival and concert
Box 3		Miscellaneous 1998, 2000-2010 - flyers and agendas for assorted POC gatherings and photographs from unidentified events

	Legal material
Box 3		Amended consent judgement 1999 (2 folders)
Box 3		Permit, Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant SPDES 2011
		Title VI Complaint
Box 3			Complaint 2001, 2004
Box 3			Complaint clarification 2004
Box 3			Dismissal 2005
Box 3			Exhibits 1-7 1999, 2003-2004, 2006
Box 4			Exhibits 8-21 1999, 2001-2003 (2 folders)
Box 4			New and significant information, first submission 2005 (3 folders)
Box 4			New and significant information, second submission 2006 (2 folders)
Box 4			New and significant information, second submission footnotes 2006 (8 folders)
Box 4			Partial acceptance 2004
Box 4			Title VI Complaint List 1993-2005

	Promotional material
Box 5		Form letters and phone scripts undated
		News program - media accompanied by a printed email related to the editing of the program
Box 6			New York News Connection: "Not in my back yard" November 23, 2004 - video (Flash Memory: USB) (ID#: partner_onon_012)
				New York News Connection story regarding civil rights and sewage treatment including comment from Aggie Lane of Partnership for Onondaga Creek.
Box 6			New York News Connection: "Not in my back yard" November 23, 2004 - video (VHS; running time 48:00) (ID#: partner_onon_013)
				New York News Connection story regarding civil rights and sewage treatment including comment from Aggie Lane of Partnership for Onondaga Creek.
Box 5		Press releases 2000, 2004-2005, 2008-2009
Box 6		Website of the POC undated - website zip file; accompanied by printed email (Flash Memory: USB) (ID#: partner_onon_011)
Box 5		Miscellaneous undated - photograph of a POC billboard and a zine of protest cheers

	Reports
Box 5		Comments on the I-81 process 2013
Box 5		Environmental injustice in the Onondaga Lake waterscape 2012
Box 5		Environmental racism in Syracuse NY 2007
Box 5		Green infrastructure survey 2009
Box 5		Postition paper on the Midland RTF 2001
Box 5		What's wrong with the combined sewer overflow plan? 2007

	Miscellaneous media
Box 6		Armory and jobs undated (DVD) (ID#: partner_onon_008)
Box 6		Blaine Street pictures undated (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_010)
Box 6		Class presentation undated - powerpoint presentation (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_004)
			Presentation includes: RTF [regional treatment facility] v US, EJ [environmental justice], chlorine, POC [Partnership for Onondaga Creek] activities, and history.
Box 6		EJ [Environmental Justice], Midland sewage plant 2008 - powerpoint presentation (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_003)
Box 6		EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] presentation undated (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_001)
Box 6		Midland bridge, green and plant side September 2007 (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_002)
Box 6		Oxford action Blaine construction undated (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_009)
Box 6		Partnership for Onondaga Creek powerpoint presentation undated (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_005)
			Presentation includes: EJ [environmental justice], chlorine, and RTF [regional treatment facility] v US.
Box 6		Photos for Aggie [Lane] undated (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_006)
			A collection of photographs of the May rally, Armory Square, MLK [Martin Luther King] Day Rally, and Jerry Rescue.
Box 6		POC [Partnership for Onondaga Creek], DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] September 2008 (CD) (ID#: partner_onon_007)

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