LEWISTON, N.Y. — In a recent 2 On Your Side Original report, we shared the history of the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works Site/Niagara Falls Storage Site.
The once massive 7,500-acre facility manufactured TNT during World War II, but for the last 80 years, it has been home to the storage of Manhattan Project waste.
After the report, several viewers had more questions that we have answers for.
One viewer asked, "Where are they taking the hazardous toxins?"
The Niagara Falls Storage Site is home to 390,000 tons of radioactive waste and other volatile chemicals. Right now, it is mostly stored in a clay-reinforced pit called the interim waste containment site.
The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has pledged to clean it up and remediate the site, but doing so will take at minimum another decade, and most likely longer than that.
As for where the waste will go, that is still being figured out by the Army Corps.
"We don't know yet," said USACE public affairs specialist Amy Gaskill. "That's part of this, working with a contractor on where's the best place to put it, but there are several sites around the country that are certified and permitted to take this type of contaminated waste."
Another viewer asked, "How hazardous will it be to local residents?"
Right now there are vast amounts of Uranium, Thorium, Cessium, and Radium being stored in the IWCS. Removing it without further contaminating the area will be slow and deliberate.
The Army Corps of Engineers knows that trucks will be involved in the removal process. However, because the final destination of the waste hasn't been determined, it's unknown if the waste will be solely trucked or if rail would be involved.
As for truck safety, and ensuring no contaminated waste leaks out, Gaskill says the contractor and USACE ensure extra precautions are taken.
"We line our trucks with special materials to make sure you know that that soil stays in there," Gaskill said. "We do radiation checks on our trucks before they leave the facility to make sure nothing's going off facility, we do work very closely with the contractor to make sure they're going the proper route through the community to ensure the lowest risk."
In other radioactive waste removal projects across the country, the trucks that removed material were also covered.
A public information session will be hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers on October 17 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Lewiston Senior Center.
USACE will host the event to share some of the information they have on the phase 1 removal of wastes that still linger outside the IWCS on the Niagara Falls Storage Site property.