Radioactive Niagara

By Alex Simone

WBFO

Niagara County residents are raising concerns about public safety after becoming aware that the soil below their feet may be contaminated by radioactive material.

Community members gathered Friday at John Nielsen Sr. Park in the Town of Niagara to speak out for the area’s homes that could be affected.

Resident Lexi Hawk said the New York Department of Environmental Conservation contacted her in the spring with concerns about a study done two years ago.

“If there (were) concerns about my property, why did it take two years to tell me? Why was I left, unknowingly, allowing my now 3-year-old to run around my yard?" she said. "We have gardens. We host cookouts. We have bonfires, and the ground under us could have been contaminated. I immediately called the number on the letter and granted permission for additional testing. That's when I was told I'd have to sign a waiver.”

The agreement would waive any claims against DEC, New York State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hawk said. She gave in to the requests a few weeks ago to learn some answers. They found high levels of radiation in her yard and woods attached to the property, she added.

The DEC and EPA are prioritizing community safety during the assessment process, according to a DEC written statement, and “there is no acute health risk from publicly accessible areas.”

Carolyn Johnson moved to the area in 1990 and checked at the time with the town that there were no contamination concerns, she said.

But she also was contacted by DEC multiple times from 2023 to 2025 about "extremely high" radiation levels.

"I'm just horrified that there's radioactivity in this neighborhood. I am connecting the dots, now, of all the different illnesses and rare cancers that I have heard about in my neighborhood over all these 36 years, and I still keep hearing about them," Johnson said. "It's just too much for one little neighborhood. New York Governor Kathy Hochul's DEC and (Department of Health) have not been there for us protecting our safety."

State Senator Rob Ortt said in a written statement that he has been in contact with state and federal agencies since recently learning of the situation.

"The New York State DEC, DOH and the EPA owe the people of Niagara County a full explanation of where these properties are located, what impacts to health this has had on past and present residents of these areas, and what plans are in place to remediate these dangerous conditions," he said.

According to the DEC, aerial surveys were done in 2023 and 2024 to collect data for possible radioactive locations in Niagara and Erie Counties. A roadside survey started in 2025 will be finished this summer, and the combined data will be used to identify "locations of interest."

The third phase is conducting individual assessments on 121 private properties, most of which fall in Niagara County. Of the property owners contacted, 36 have signed access forms and 28 have declined as of Wednesday.

"Regarding the waiver in the Property Owner Access Form, please note that a waiver is typically used in access agreements such as these," DEC said.

The best option might be using the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as EPA's Superfund program, to move residents to safer areas, Johnson said.

"We do need the Superfund for this neighborhood," she said. "We need evacuation and relocation to comparable, suitable homes that everyone agrees will suit them and their needs, that are safe and free from any contamination."