Catholic Academy targeted for testing

(Editor's note: Mark Scheers reporting escaped  the Gazetted paywall and made if to Investigative Post so here it is. Federal and state regulators says they'll do further surveys after recording "elevated readings" at the Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls in September.)

By Mark Scheer / Niagara Gazette

The Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls, 100 Military Road.

Federal and state environmental regulators who have spent months examining radioactive hotspots across Western New York are now planning to conduct testing at a private elementary school in Niagara Falls.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Conservation recently advised administrators from the school at Prince of Peace church on Military Road about “elevated readings” from an initial radiological survey conducted on school property in September.

In a school newsletter from the Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls sent to parents this week, school administrators said the initial screening prompted “further exterior assessment.” The tests are now scheduled for Wednesday, which is Veterans Day, a federal holiday when school is not in session.

The “health and safety” update included in the newsletter suggests the initial screening results do not indicate a threat to the health and safety of parents or children. It also describes the cause of the elevated readings as “unknown” while they could be the result of “variations in radiological materials in natural rocks and soils and building materials.”

“They do not necessarily indicate the presence of contamination,” the newsletter reads. “Additional assessments will seek to identify the cause of the elevated screening results.”

The letter warned parents to expect to see “zones” set up on school grounds as well as “people in yellow safety vests and white hazard suits.”

“During testing, there is no risk to students (school is not in session) or the public,” the letter reads.

The DEC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Representatives from Prince of Peace School also did not immediately respond to the Niagara Gazette’s inquiries. The newspaper left a message requesting comment from a member of the administration on Thursday morning.

Information about the initial results and the plan for additional testing hit home for Daniel and Jocelyn McKiernan, a Niagara Falls couple whose 4-year-old son, Emmitt, attends Prince of Peace.

The McKiernans have moved out of their home on 99th Street after jostling for months with representatives from the DEC and EPA following the discovery of heavy metals in their backyard during a summer pool installation project.

Dan McKiernan with monitoring wells to be installed on his 99th Street property. Photo: Mark Scheer.

The couple visited Prince of Peace on Thursday morning and were told by staff members that the school’s principal and vice principal were unavailable and unable to speak to them. They said they were also told one of the administrators has a map of areas requiring additional testing; however, the document could not be shared unless the administrator chose to do so.

“What they are saying is it’s on the property, around the school. They haven’t informed us where this is,” Daniel McKiernan said.

The McKiernans said they were also told no testing has been done inside the school building. They are now calling on school officials and the DEC and the EPA to perform interior testing as well.

Jocelyn McKiernan said parents did receive a follow-up text message from school officials, assuring them their children have been and continue to be in a safe setting while attending classes.

Jocelyn said she’s not convinced.

“We as parents have a right to know what our children are being exposed to. It would be the same thing if it was asbestos or lead,” she said.

The McKiernans have gathered numerous local supporters in their ongoing effort to convince the DEC and EPA to authorize formal relocation for their family, including their 7-year-old, disabled son, Wyatt, who suffers from a severe chromosomal abnormality, encephalitis and a seizure disorder.

Last month, the couple filed a formal complaint with the federal government, requesting an investigation into how New York state handled concerns they raised about contamination at their residence near the Love Canal containment site.

As part of their complaint, the McKiernans allege officials with the DEC and state health department wrongfully denied their repeated requests for relocation, causing a disruption in Wyatt’s state-mandated, in-home health care services.

On Thursday, Jocelyn McKieran said she’s not comfortable, given the limited information she’s been provided so far, allowing Emmitt to continue to attend classes at Prince of Peace. She said she wants assurances from state and federal officials that testing will be performed inside the building as well.

“Our children’s lives matter. The staff in that school matters and this is unacceptable,” she said.

“How are we supposed to keep our children safe or ourselves in this city when this is everywhere?” she added.