Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says it's looking into underground chemical pollution on Cayuga Island after utility workers smelled foul odors coming from holes they dug last fall while working to install a new water main.
State leaders in Niagara Falls like Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Angelo Morinello have been made aware of the investigation by DEC officials, and briefed on the contaminated soil situation on the island.
"About two-and-a-half months ago in Albany, Amanda Lefton - Commissioner of the DEC - came to visit me to explain to me that the odors emanating from some digging led to believe there were some contaminants at the end of the island. That DEC was formulating their attack, and they were going to be contacting a number of homeowners for permission to do sampling in their yards," said Morinello on Tuesday during an appearance on WBEN with Joe Beamer. "They did put the plan together. Unfortunately, from what I'm reading, is some homeowners have refused."
Like Ortt, Morinello is encouraging affected residents to be open to working with the DEC, because they are efforting to remedy the situation.
"When it comes to these issues, we have to rely on them because they are experts," Morinello said. "The chairperson, Amanda Lefton, is phenomenal. She knows what she's doing, she's hands on. So I don't have concerns of the testing, the remediation or the final results."
What does concern Morinello is that any contaminants could have migrated inland and affect homes on the island.
"There was an island - Cayuga Island - and they extended the island, the edges of the island, with this contamination. And then they built homes on it. So this seems to be where the extensions of the island were, and not on the island itself. So the concerns are if it's toxic and dangerous, did it migrate into the waters? Is it migrating inland? That's what this testing is going to determine by the DEC," Morinello explained. "So instead of panicking, let's work with the authorities on this one."
"Let's be realistic about this. This happened during an era of the chemical plants in Niagara Falls looking for locations to dump their waste. Absolutely, incredibly non-palatable, but it happened. Nobody that is in power today has caused this, but the DEC is going to remedy it."
If the DEC does find anything that may be detrimental to residents of Cayuga Island, Morinello says it will be covered under the State Superfund Programs.
"Should there need to be remediation or should there be a danger level that needs to evolve into people moving, the expense will be borne by the Superfund. So I was advised of that, because DEC was on it immediately. They are acting upon that, they are doing soil samples for those," he said.
"Once we get the results of what the testing is, then we address what the results are. Hyperbole, speculation and allegations do not help remedy the situation, and I can assure you that DEC is taking this seriously."
Morinello adds the DEC has safeguards in place to protect the future of not just Cayuga Island, but also the waters surrounding Niagara Falls.
"I'm not sure if people remembered, but at one time, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario were considered dead, and I mean dead," Morinello said. "Through years-and-years of mediation, through years of monitoring, they're both now alive. You can go in the water, you can fish Lake Ontario, you can do the Niagara River. So, unfortunately, we're living with the sins of the past, but we are reflecting on the future."
