1318 Niagara Street Site
Fact Sheet - August 2010
Cleanup Activities to Begin at 1318 Niagara Street Site
Introduction
Covered storage drums sit behind a chain linked fence at
the 1318 Niagara Street Site.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) would like to update you about environmental cleanup activities planned for the 1318 Niagara Street Site located at 1318 Niagara Street in the City of Buffalo. NYSDEC has determined that cleanup work is necessary to address environmental impacts at the site.
The site is contaminated from the release of hazardous substances from activities including the underground storage of petroleum substances in tanks, as well as other unknown activities. Known contaminants of concern include petroleum related substances as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). More information on PCBs can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website (see link in right column).
To address this concern, a cleanup effort known as an Interim Remedial Measure (IRM) will begin in the summer of 2010. An IRM is a cleanup action that can be conducted relatively quickly to address an obvious environmental problem without extensive site investigations in order to minimize environmental or health risks.
Cleanup work at the site will be performed by the City of Buffalo under New York State's Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). New York's ERP reimburses municipalities for their costs to investigate and clean up municipally owned contaminated properties. Once cleaned up, the properties may be redeveloped for commercial, industrial, residential or public use.
What Will the Upcoming Cleanup Work Involve?
Contaminated soils at the site will be excavated and disposed.
The upcoming IRM cleanup work will address immediate environmental concerns involving contamination at the site. The cleanup activities will include:
- Removing and properly disposing two underground storage tanks (USTs);
- Removing and properly disposing several 55-gallon drums containing waste materials; and
- Excavating and disposing PCB contaminated soils at a permitted disposal facility.
The upcoming IRM cleanup activities are described in greater detail in the IRM Work Plan, which is available for public review at the locations listed at the end of this fact sheet and in electronic format in the right column of this web page. The work plan contains more specific details about what the IRM work will involve. During cleanup activities, health and safety plans and air monitoring plans will be implemented to protect workers and the community.
Next Steps
The City of Buffalo will develop plans to complete a more thorough investigation of the site, including the investigation of potential groundwater contamination. A summary of the investigation, potential cleanup alternatives, and the recommended final cleanup plan will be presented in a document entitled Proposed Remedial Action Plan/Alternative Analysis Report, which will be made available to the public for comment. NYSDEC will continue to update you about project milestones through fact sheets similar to this one.
Site Background
The 1318 Niagara Street Site encompasses 0.77-acres in the western portion of the City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York. The site is located in an urban setting and is surrounded by commercial and residential properties. The site is not currently used and has been secured with a temporary chain link fence.
Prior to 1987, the site had been utilized as a brewery for at least eighty years. The City of Buffalo acquired the site through foreclosure and in 2006 began to prepare the site by demolishing the on-site structures. During demolition, contamination was discovered in the soils adjacent to the USTs and in soils in the vicinity of the former brewery furnace. Contaminants included PCBs as well as various chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). PCBs are a class of compounds which were previously used in electrical equipment such as transformers; however, they are now banned in the United States due to suspected carcinogenic effects. In 2007 the City of Buffalo requested to participate in the New York State ERP to voluntarily clean up the site. In determining the eligibility of the municipality for the ERP, the NYSDEC determined that the City of Buffalo was not responsible for the contamination.
Who Should I Call If I Have Questions about the Site?
Comments and questions are always welcome and should be directed as follows:
Environment Questions:
Mr. Anthony Lopes, P.E.
NYSDEC Region 9
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-7220
region 9@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Health Questions:
Ms. Scarlett Messier
NYSDOH
547 River Street
Troy, New York 12180
(800) 458-1158 ext. 27860
sem10@health.state.ny.us
Project Questions:
Mr. Dennis Sutton, C.P.G.
Planning, Development and Inspection Office
920 City Hall
Buffalo, New York 14202
(716) 851-6587
DSutton@City-Buffalo.com
Locations to View Project Documents
Project documents are available at the following locations to help the public stay informed.
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Central Branch
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone: (716) 858-8900
NYSDEC Region 9 Office
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone: (716) 851-7220
(Please call for appointment)
Electronic versions of project documents are available under "Important Links" in the right column.
