'We need to do right by this family': NF Mayor Restaino

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WBEN).....Since Daniel and Joceyln McKiernan discovered, this summer, that their Niagara Falls dream house was sitting on long buried toxic chemicals, Robert Restaino has been working quietly to help the family.

But at an Oct. 2 rally, Restaino broke his self-imposed public silence and is using his mayoral bully pulpit to help push state and federal officials to relocate the McKiernans away from their Love Canal neighborhood home to another house.

Why now?

Because the McKiernans need Restaino's public support.

"I tend not to grandstand on the circumstances of others," Restaino said. "But, this is different."

Restaino's comments come as a legion of McKiernan supporters have petitioned by state Department of Environmental Conservation and federal Environmental Protection Agency to helo relocate the family under the national Superfund program.

The Superfund program was born out of the Love Canal environmental disaster that was uncovered in the late 1970s and created by President Carter.

Privately commissioned studies found more than 20 toxic chemicals - some buried for decades - on the McKiernan's 99th Street house. The house sits less than 300 feet from some of the long buried and capped Love Canal chemicals and testing has shown that some of the toxic chemicals have seeped on to the McKiernan property.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has ordered the state DEC to conduct more tests.

"While these problems began decades ago, the Governor's concern lie first and foremost with the health and well-being of the homeowners," said Ken Lovett, senior communications on energy and environment for Hochul.

The McKiernan's moved to Niagara Falls from Binghamton 2020. They bought their home from a house flipper.

Since moving to the Love Canal neighborhood, Jocelyn McKiernan has had five miscarriages and their two sons have medical issues as does Daniel McKiernan.

Restaino agrees that more testing is needed.

"I'm a firm believer in science," Restaino said. "But, we need to do right by this family."