It was a busy Saturday morning in Salina, as a third and final public forum about adding a beach to the Onondaga Lake brought along a large show of opposition to the project. 

“There’s no certainty the lake is safe for people to immerse in, or to drink, or to be exposed to on a constant basis," said Hanah Ehrenreich, from Syracuse.

Much of the conversation was about water quality.

“I am all for its cleanup but it is not there yet. And to say wouldn’t we like a swimming beach is to ignore the point we would like a clean lake — which is the most important feature that could be added to our community," Ehrenreich said.

Tables allowed questions to be asked of specialists in major components of the project. Some meeting attendees were frustrated with this format which has been used in the past.

“We're not allowed to ask questions anyone else in the audience could hear [and so] we felt effectively silenced. We were told we could only go to tables and write down our questions," said Marianna Kaufman, of Syracuse.

Before the forum, people opposed to the beach gathered to share their concerns — particularly the Onondaga Nation, whose members consider the lake a sacred space. 

“My clients in the Onondaga Nation want a healthy, whole, and functioning lake, but pretending something is safe, something is cleaned up — when it's not — is simply an invitation for disaster," said Alma Lowry, an environmental attorney for the Onondaga Nation.

The next step in the process is for the publishing of the feasibility report — including everyone’s questions and comments.

“The goal was always just to put together the information and let people make a decision for themselves. There was never an assumption of a second step or getting it to the point where you would have a beach," said Travis Glazier, director of Office for the Environment, Onondaga County.

Results of the study will be distributed by the Onondaga County Office for the Environment. Public comments can be submitted here until April 1. Documents from pervious meetings, and the draft of the feasibility study are available here.