Niagara, N.Y. (WBEN) - State Sen. Rob Ortt is pushing for New York to change its Superfund law, if it wants to properly address radiation concerns in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County.
Speaking with WBEN on Friday, Ortt says while federal Superfund programs can be used to help with radioactive contamination, New York's version does not currently cover radiation. He says legislation is needed to close that gap, allowing the state to play a larger role in any future cleanup efforts.
"There's a state Superfund and a federal Superfund," Ortt explained. "When the state Superfund law was drawn up, it covered a lot of toxic material and toxic waste, but it exclusively carves out radiation and radiological waste. The federal Superfund does cover it. We want to change the state law to include radiological material and waste. It wouldn't be state or federal. It would be both. It would mean more funding and you could get some of the properties done in a quicker time frame."
Under the process, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) refers each contaminated property to the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the EPA does all of the remedial work.
The state legislature is currently not in session. They would have to be called back by the governor to take up the legislation.
Ortt added that residents deserve answers, and every available resource should be on the table as officials continue investigating elevated radiation readings in parts of the county.
"This is an oversight. I don't know why it wasn't included in the original law"
"This is an oversight. I don't know why it wasn't included in the original law"
