Elected officials in Western New York are voicing their opinions on the radioactive pollution in Niagara and Erie counties. The Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have been conducting testing and radiological surveys in the wake of the discovery of radioactive pollution at 120 homes in Niagara County this month.
“We have to stand in this moment in time with the families to make sure that they have everything humanly possible to get through this and that they are safe, they are healthy and that we identify the contaminated sites, get people away from them and make sure that they are cleaned up as soon as possible,” Rep. Tim Kennedy said.
State Sen. Minority Leader Rob Ortt said anyone fearing radioactive waste on their property should reach out to his office.
Transparency from the DEC and EPA have been top of mind for many of the people impacted in the region.
Concerned residents from Niagara and Erie counties gathered this week to discuss ongoing radiological studies by the EPA and the DEC.
A community meeting organized by “Save Our Backyards Niagara” called for transparency from DEC and EPA officials. Some residents in attendance asked for Gov. Kathy Hochul to name the area a Superfund site, which is an area heavily polluted by hazardous waste.
According to the EPA, a Superfund distinction allows the agency to clean up contaminated sites and forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work.
Agency representatives will be holding sessions beginning Thursday at Veteran’s Memorial Community Park on Joe Rotella Way in Niagara Falls.
Session will also be held the following two Mondays, Aug. 3 and Aug. 10.
Agency representatives can also be reached through a public hotline at 1-518-712-8279.