Residents updated on LOOW today, its status, its future

by Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, November 3, 2007

To those having curiosity about the once 7,500-acre Lake Ontario Ordnance Works lands in Lewiston and Porter, its history, its current state and its future, last Saturday’s session at the Town of Lewiston Senior Center proved a very worthwhile visit.

The three-plus hour-long program led off with an interesting glimpse into LOOW’s past, offered by Dr. R. Nils Olsen Jr., dean of the University at Buffalo Law School and a long-time legal advocate, who enlightened many on its storied history, including recent but failed efforts at the state level to bring some measure of environmental justice to residents of Lewiston and Porter.

It also featured informative discussion by representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, on the actual duties and responsibilities of the Corps as it pertains to LOOW, followed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which updated attendees on its numerous activities in past decades at the site. It wrapped up with revealing material on the extent of LOOW site radiological and chemical contamination as it is today, offered by members of the LOOW Restoration Advisory Board, which sponsored the event.

The program was insightful as well as interesting. But it also sounded like an old, overplayed song to some in attendance who have it heard it all before.

One Former Worker

“They sure don’t give us anything new, do they,” commented one older area resident who wished to remain anonymous. A former laborer who worked at the now-demolished Building 403 on the Niagara Falls Storage Site – currently the location of the Interim Waste Containment Structure on its southwest end -- the man, who said he suffers from a cancer that ravages his central nervous system, told rather haunting tales of working, even swimming, in the radioactive waters that typically collected back then in the basement of the once mammoth facility that measured 200 feet by 180 feet in size. He also voiced frustrations on the continuing government inattentiveness of the remaining former LOOW workers, many afflicted with cancers or other maladies, who have long sought compensation to deal with their health miseries. “Guess they’re just waiting for all of us to die off,” he said.

Olsen, who offered a similar presentation on LOOW to UB students last summer, opened by discussing the many quality of life attributes that are characteristic to Lewiston and Porter. “This is an extraordinary area to raise a family,” commented Olsen. “But all is not well in this area,” he said of the LOOW lands. “When you look at Model City, you get a very different picture.”

CWM, NFSS Concerns

He told attendees for example, that CWM Chemical Services which borders LOOW’s north side, is one of 20 such hazardous waste facilities operating in the entire U.S. and the only one in New York state. The facility typically sees 300,000 tons of hazardous waste imported and treated, and 150,000 tons permanently stored in 13 separate landfills that dot its 710 acres. CWM continues in the process towards seeking DEC approval for a new 50-acre landfill -- Residuals Management Unit 2 – that would permit it to landfill and dispose of 4 million tons of hazardous waste for upwards of the next 50 years.

Olsen also offered some disturbing facts and figures about the federal government-owned 191-acre NFSS. Calling the property “extraordinarily polluted lands,” Olsen said NFSS, which is located roughly 1-1/4 mile east of the Lewiston-Porter School District Creek Road campus, is home to one of the largest concentrations of highly radioactive K-65 (Radium-226) residues in the entire U.S.

He wound up his discussion by pointing out the many tried and failed legislative and legal efforts at the state level over the past 20 years intended to put an end to the dumping at CWM once and for all. “The state prefers use of existing sites versus establishing new ones for hazardous waste land-filling and storage” said Olsen, providing such examples as a 1987 Supreme Court order on DEC to develop an equitable Hazardous Waste Siting Plan “with all due speed” – one which still has not been fulfilled -- and of recent vetoes, first by former Gov. George Pataki, the second by current Gov. Eliot Spitzer, to legislation which passed both houses of the state Legislature to protect the Great Lakes against the pitfalls of hazardous waste land-filling.

“Environmental injustice continues,” said Olsen. “So do the implications.”

Corps’ Role Discussed

Next, Bill Kowalewski of the Army Corps provided insight on the responsibilities and limitations of the Corps with respect to LOOW. He said the Army Corps, which is directed by the Department of Energy, is responsible for addressing all the LOOW site contamination attributed to the federal government, as well as having authority over federally protected wetlands on the property. It is not responsible for non-government contamination at LOOW – those linked to CWM or Modern landfill operations – nor is it responsible for the permitting and regulating of the two commercial landfill operators.

Turning his focus to NFSS, Kowalewski discussed the various remediation projects the Corps has addressed at the site, from the mid-1970s to present day. Most recent was the 2001-02 asbestos removal project at Building 401, the massive former steam energy plant, still standing, that’s fronted by silos that face out to Pletcher Road.

Other work over the years, performed under the Corps’ Formerly Used Sites Remedial Action Program, include the demolishing of various NFSS structures, including a highly radioactive K-65 residue-contaminated silo complex in NFSS’ north-central area and Building 403 on its southwest; construction of the Interim Waste Containment Structure in the Building 403 basement; the annual environmental surveillance of NFSS properties from 1981 to 1997; and a gamma walkover of the nearby Lew-Port School District property in 2002 – one which found no radioactivity other than scattered low-level building materials not attributed to LOOW’s past. Still more include a similar radioactive study of NFSS lands in 2003; a terrorism threat analysis in 2004, an ongoing Homeland Security related update, and an expected review/update of the Interim Waste Containment Structure by 2008.
Surreal Look

Getting back to Building 401, this writer had unique opportunity to enter this extremely deteriorating complex during a visit to NFSS in 2003. Inside were found surreal, almost haunting glimpses of a structure of another era -- still very highly radioactive contaminated, with unsecured radioactive containers seen stacked haphazardly along the walls, gaping holes in the building’s floors and ceilings, and wild animals and birds roaming throughout.

As to any possibility of demolishing of this structure in the future, Kowalewski was noncommittal, saying that this project and others at NFSS are subject to Army Corps funding appropriations, which are all derived from the federal budget and subject to other government concerns, such as the ongoing war on terrorism.

Kowalewski wrapped up his discussion by stating the Corps Property Management Action Plans of NFSS and LOOW properties will continue; a further update on the status of the Interim Waste Containment Structure is expected by 2008, and he expressed hopes for Corps action, subject to funding, on addressing problems at the old, now inactive sewage treatment plant on Town of Lewiston property northwest of NFSS near the west ditch. “It’s a likely area of concern,” said Kowalewski as to the radioactive problems still at the facility. And he was skeptical on it being done in 2008, saying this project and others are again dependent on federal funding.

Moving on, DEC’s Kent Johnson provided an update on the various underground utilities remediation efforts at LOOW, which included cleaning of former pipelines linked to the former TNT manufacturing operations; excavation and testing of sewer lines and pipelines on the Somerset property; investigations of former Air Force Plant 68 on the CWM property; and the former Nike Base lands at Balmer and Porter Center Roads – which just this past week was sold by the General Services Administration to Southport Rail Transfer LLC of Depew.

Long-term Concerns

And the session wrapped up with discussions by Bill Boeck of the LOOW RAB Radiological Committee and Mary Schreiner of its Chemical Committee.

Focusing on radioactive concerns, Boeck told attendees the Interim Waste Containment Structure, while remaining stable, should remain on the Corps future priority list for complete removal and ultimate remediation. He told of very heavy concentrations of K-65 Radium 226 (2,000 curies) in its vast mix of stored residues, and told the audience the structure contained as much radioactivity as that equivalent to 2 billion smoke detectors – or half of all known Radium in the U.S.

And he expressed worry for the long-term outlook of the cell, telling the audience it remains unknown as to what’s actually underneath the massive structure that was once Building 403, how secure it is against leaks into the area watershed, including nearby 4-Mile Creek, and how secure it is against growing spread of radioactivity. “The Interim Waste Containment Structure cannot be contained permanently. The integrity of its barriers is unknown,” Boeck said, again expressing hope that Corps monies in the future will allow for its complete removal from NFSS.