WHEATFIELD, N.Y. — With a new report out on the Niagara Sanitation Landfill in Wheatfield, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation held a meeting Saturday to address concerns by residents.
People who live near the landfill got a chance to speak one-on-one with representatives from the department of health and the department of environmental conservation.
In 2017 Governor Andrew Cuomo called on the DEC to look into potential leakage from the landfill.
Since then, the DEC conducted an involved study looking into a multitude of factors such as the groundwater and soil. They found no exposure pathways where residents could be impacted.
But neighbors spoke out during the Saturday meeting, saying their homes are proof that's not the case.
"Right now the house is swamped with chemicals. They're coming down the walls of our house. Everything we put together in 52 years of marriage is going to chemicals, toxic chemicals. They are visible. I have pictures of it," said Mary DiPota, a homeowner.
Like many neighbors, DiPota had a private test done at her house. She told 2 on Your Side the results showed high levels of toxic chemicals.
But, the department of health said there's a reason for that.
Many chemicals found in the landfill are commonly used a number of different applications like pesticides.
"What we found out in this investigation is that there's no real way for people to come in contact with the contamination because it's not migrating off the site," said Scarlette McLaughlin, a public health specialist.
The Niagara Sanitation Landfill was used from 1955 to 1968, when the state used the site to dispose of soils that were later determined to be contaminated by Love Canal waste.
Representatives with the DEC said this meeting was one step in a larger process. They hope to continue dialogue with the community.
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