The Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW) site is a 7,567-acre site located in the towns of Lewiston and Porter, New York (Figure 1). It was used as a World War II TNT manufacturing facility. Current property owners within the LOOW footprint include local and federal governments, private corporations, and individual private residents.

Between 1941 and 1944, the DoD acquired property for the establishment of LOOW, a government owned – contractor operated (GOCO) facility built to manufacture flaked TNT. It consisted of six TNT lines (three pairs) with facilities for manufacturing, recovery, purification, concentration, and mixing of acid reagents. The manufacturing operations were concentrated in an approximate 2,500-acre developed area. Disposal of waste materials from the processing operations occurred on-site. In 1943, after nine months of production, LOOW was decommissioned due to excess TNT production at other DoD facilities. TNT manufacturing and waste handling operations were identified as having potentially impacted the land.

Project Status

In a May 2021 memorandum titled “USACE 2021. Memorandum for File: Re-evaluation of Risks Associated with LOOW Defense Environmental Restoration Program-Formerly Used Defense Site (DERP-FUDS) Areas (Six Mile Creek, 30-inch Outfall, and Southwest Drainage Ditch” it was determined that the investigation of the areas in the LOOW site had identified that contamination does not present unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.

Therefore, USACE has determined that No Further Action is necessary to protect human health and the environment at the 30-inch outfall line, Six Mile Creek, and Southwest Drainage Ditch; therefore, no remedial action objectives and no alternative remedial actions were developed and considered. The basis for this recommendation includes the following information that was gathered and evaluated in the investigations and Human Health Risk Assessment. Under a proposed plan of no further action, no remedial action would be performed, and no institutional controls would be implemented.

• 30-inch outfall line (within LOOW boundary) - using residential and industrial screening criteria a Human Health Risk Assessment determined that there were no exceedances of risk thresholds for hypothetical residents and construction workers
• Six Mile Creek - All field screening and laboratory analytical results were below background levels and screening criteria.
• Southwest Drainage Ditch - Analytical results for surface water, sediment, and subsurface soil samples were below background levels and screening criteria or were determined to not represent a risk to human and ecological receptors. 

The public is encouraged to review and provide their comments on the no action proposed plan.

A public meeting will be conducted at the Town of Lewiston Senior Center, located at 4361 Lower River Rd, Youngstown, NY 14174, on Tuesday June 24, 2025, beginning at 6:30 p.m.  A court recorder will be available to record verbal comments during the meeting after the presentation.

Written comments may be provided the evening of the public meeting; emailed to derpfuds@usace.army.mil (by July 30, 2025), or mailed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, Attention: Environmental Project Management Section, 478 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14224 (postmarked by July 30, 2025).

The preferred alternative of No Further Action outlined in the proposed plan may be modified based on new information acquired during the designated public comment period. Once the public comment period for the proposed plan closes, a final decision document will be issued. The final decision document will include a written response to comments received on the proposed plan and is currently scheduled for release in 2027.

The proposed plan and supporting documents are available below. The administrative record is available for viewing electronically at the Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. 8th Street, Lewiston, NY 14092, (716) 754-4720, or the Youngstown Free Library, 240 Lockport Street, Youngstown, NY 14174, and at the USACE Buffalo District Office Library located at 478 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14202 call 1-800-833-6390 (Option 4) for an appointment.

If you would like to be added to the email distribution list for updates regarding the LOOW site, please email derpfuds@usace.army.mil.

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