April public information session for USACE, Buffalo District Niagara Falls Storage Site

Balance of plant & groundwater operable units

Submitted by Amy J. Gaskill, BA-APR

Outreach Specialist

Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Buffalo District

Hello from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District: 

Our schedule for the public information session for Niagara Falls Storage Site ahead of the start of work on phase 1 has shifted slightly while the work plans are completed. Our team and our contractor are working diligently to finalize details of the plans and ensure they meet our constant goal of protecting human health and the environment.

The next public information session, focusing on the details of the phase 1 work plans, will take place in April. Work on phase 1 is targeted to begin this summer. Public involvement is critical to these projects. Once exact dates are set for these sessions, we’ll publish media advisories and send “News From the Corps” email updates to the community. We look forward to engaging with you as we move forward on this important project.

As a reminder, phase 1 (also known as “balance of plant” [BOP]) focuses on cleanup of surface soils at multiple locations across the storage site, and is separate from phases 2 and 3, which will focus on removal of material from the interim waste containment structure where high and low activity waste is stored.

Back in August of last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District awarded a $40 million contract to Enviro-Fix Solutions LLC for Niagara Falls Storage Site remedial and site services. The first task order on that contract is to remediate contaminated media in accordance with the Record of Decision for the balance of plant and groundwater operable units. This work is being carried out under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program.

•Selected Remedy:

As a reminder, the selected remedy in the Record of Decision for the Balance of Plant and Groundwater Operable Units (OUs) Niagara Falls Storage Site is the complete removal of contaminated media and off-site disposal at a properly permitted or licensed facility. Following completion of excavation and off-site disposal, the site would be remediated to levels suitable for industrial use (i.e., protective of construction, industrial, and maintenance workers, as well as adolescent and adult trespassers).

The major components of the selected remedy for the NFSS BOP and groundwater OUs include:

√ Removal and off-site disposal of radionuclides of concern (ROCs) ROC – and/or chemicals of concern (COC) – contaminated soil, road bedding, and Building 401 foundation/utilities.

√ Investigation of foundations and underlying soil, including but not limited to Buildings 430 and 431/432 and Building 433, and subsequent removal and off-site disposal of impacted media; and,

√ Removal and off-site disposal of a chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC)-impacted soil and groundwater plume and placement of clay backfill into the excavation.

•Next Steps/Anticipated Schedule:

√ Winter 2023-24 – Balance of plant work plan development and finalization.

√ April 2024 – USACE anticipates hosting a public information session to describe BOP site remediation activities.

√ Summer 2024 – BOP mobilization.

√ Spring 2025 – Anticipate remedial actions of the phase I to be complete.

√ Note: additional public information sessions will take this summer to discuss the Lake Ontario Ordinance Works Sitewide (Project 01) proposed plan.

•Site Services:

In the future, the USACE intends to utilize available contract capacity to support ongoing NFSS Interim Waste Containment Structure Disposal (IWCS) remedial design activities. Future task orders may include environmental and geotechnical data collection and site infrastructure construction activities.

•NFSS Project Information & Website:

All documents (administrative record, fact sheets, reports, video, etc.) related to the Niagara Falls Storage Site project are available by contacting the FUSRAP outreach coordinator at [email protected] or by leaving a message at: 800-833-6390 (option 4). Please also visit the NFSS website at: https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Mission/Projects/Article/3612360/niagara-falls-storage-site/.

•Project Updates Email List:

If you know someone that is interested in receiving email updates on our progress for the Niagara Falls Storage Site and its vicinity properties, please ask them to email [email protected] to be added to the distribution list.

Get Buffalo district news at:

√ LRB FUSRAP website: https://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/HTRW/FUSRAP

√ Internet homepage: http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil

√ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BuffaloDistrict

√ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/usaedbuffalo

√ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/