BUFFALO, N.Y. --
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District has released the proposed plan for the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works Site for public comment.
The proposed plan recommends No Further Action Necessary for three areas on the LOOW site in the towns of Lewiston and Porter, Niagara County, New York.
The public is encouraged to review and provide their comments on the no action proposed plan.
A public meeting will be conducted at the Lewiston Senior Center:
Date: Tuesday June 24, 2025
Time: 6:30-9pm
Location: 4361 Lower River Rd, Youngstown, NY 14174
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).
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 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 preferred alternative of no action decision outlined in the proposed plan may be modified based on any 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 record of 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 on the project website:
https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/Display/Article/3663181/lake-ontario-ordnance-works-site/. They are also available for viewing electronically on-line in the Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. 8th Street, Lewiston, NY 14092, (716) 754-4720. The administrative record file is also available for review by appointment at the Buffalo District Office Library located at 478 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14207.
If you have any questions, please email us at derpfuds@usace.army.mil or please call our toll-free telephone number, 1-800-833-6390 (option 4).
If you would like to be added to the email distribution list for updates regarding the LOOW site, please email derpfuds@usace.army.mil.
LOOW Site Background
The LOOW Site is considered a Defense Environmental Restoration Program Formerly Used Defense Sites (DERP-FUDS) because it was owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by the United States and transferred from DoD control prior to October 17,1986. The DoD is responsible for identifying and remediating, as necessary, DoD-generated environmental contamination at FUDS properties in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The U.S. Army oversees the FUDS program for DoD, and USACE manages the investigation and cleanup of these properties. The FUDS program was established under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) and addresses releases or threatened releases attributable to DoD activities on FUDS properties.
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