U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss NFSS at session Wednesday

Corps reps to review samplings, findings

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, will hold an open house, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 10, at the Lewiston Senior Center, 4361 Lower River Road. Discussed will be the Corps' latest Balance of Plant Operable Unit findings pertaining to the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works property in northern Lewiston and Porter.

The poster session will focus on the Corps' second round of sampling performed over the past two years in areas of the 191-acre Niagara Falls Storage Site property on Pletcher Road in Lewiston. Areas examined include lands and utility lines located outside of the Interim Waste Containment Structure, a 10-acre secured cell found within the NFSS that contains high level radioactive waste residues and assorted debris dating from World War II-era and post-era activities on the LOOW site.

The Corps reports its Balance of Plant Operable Unit is designed to investigate and remediate as necessary all NFSS property outside of the IWCS.

In 2013, acting on concerns raised by local environmental interests of groundwater contaminations, the Corps embarked on a series of field investigations to increase its understanding of several areas where higher concentrations of radioactive contamination have been identified in groundwater, particularly near well OW11B and along historical water pipelines. The results of these investigations were intended to increase the Corps' knowledge of the location and source of this contamination, and the potential for any transfer in the water lines.

Arleen K. Kreusch, APR outreach program specialist, Special Projects Branch Environmental Project Management Team with the Corps, said several actions also were taken by the Corps to ensure the pipelines could not present additional concerns, and additional sampling was done to verify sufficient information was available to understand all of the issues raised.

On Wednesday, Corps representatives will be discussing the report on the second round of sampling and present activities, findings and conclusions to date. Posters with the latest information regarding the LOOW Management Action Plan, the Occidental Chemical Corporation property, and the former LOOW Wastewater Treatment Plant will be on display.

The session is open to the public, and local residents are invited to attend.

For additional information on the Corps NFSS Balance of Plant study, visit www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/HTRW/DERPFUDS/LakeOntarioOrdnanceWorks.aspx or contact the Corps at 1-800-833-6390, option No. 4.