NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The City of Niagara Falls is no stranger to visitors.
But the guests frequenting the LaSalle neighborhood as of late have done more than overstay their welcome.
Bite marks on trash cans, holes in walls of their houses, and trails of dropping are the constant sights for these neighbors fed up with the rat problem the neighborhood has experienced for years — but that they say has worsened significantly this summer.
The issue brought a room full of residents together Wednesday night for a community forum at the LaSalle Public Library alongside Niagara Falls Mayor Rob Restaino, Niagara County Legislators Chris McKimmie and Chris Voccio, and county representatives to discuss what can be done.
“Seventeen rats in these traps I killed last year,” one resident said at the forum. “I've killed five more this year.”
“They’re under your desk. They're under your driveway, sidewalks, under your house, in your house,” another resident added.
Officials say they’ve surveyed residents and brought in the health department to try to address the problem, but that it continues to persist.
Many believe the root of this problem lies at the Reworld plant, just a few blocks away, where hundreds of thousands of tons of waste are brought in and turned into energy each year.
“It could be that the rats know the garbage is there, and they're going to this place, this facility,” resident Linda Cessna said.
But officials dismissed that notion Wednesday night, as Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino said he contacted the DEC about the plant and the agency said it visits the site twice a week and has seen no evidence to show the problem is coming from the plant.
Reword echoed that in a statement:
“Reworld is proud to be a part of the Niagara community, and we deeply empathize with the concerns surrounding the rodent issue,” the statement said. “While we are not responsible for the problem, we are fully committed to being part of the solution. We've already reached out to city and county leaders to explore ways we can work together to address this challenge. Our goal is to always be a good neighbor, and we believe that by partnering with local officials, we can make a positive impact and support the community in finding effective solutions.”
In the meantime, Restaino said the city is aware that complete extermination isn’t possible, but instead, it is trying to mitigate the problem by limiting it to one area.
But neighbors like Cessna are still left without answers, just hoping these unwanted visitors find a new destination soon.
“I wear shoes in my house at night because I'm afraid,” she said. “I just want to feel free to be able to walk in my house at night.”
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