Mapping Waste Setting the Stage to Clean-Up Niagara Waste and Pollution Working Group The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB) The Urban Design Project, University at Buffalo May 2012

Mapping Waste Goals: To map the hazardous waste environment of WNY To make it available to members of WNYEA and publicly accessible Long Term Goal: Develop a broadly based strategy and campaign to clean-up and restore Niagara Mapping Waste - Setting the Stage to Clean-Up Niagara

Project Area

Mapping Waste - Setting the Stage to Clean-Up Niagara Mapping Issues Legacy (Inactive) and On-going (Active) Hazardous Waste Sites (Inactive and Active) Solid Waste (Inactive and Active) Water Pollution Air Pollution Resource Extraction Radioactive Waste (Active and Inactive) Defense Related Sites

Inactive Hazardous Waste Hazardous Waste Inactive EPADEC Superfund Project Area Total: 13 Superfund Project Area Total: 167 Brownfields Project Area Total: 98 Env. Remed.

ClassDescription Class 1(a) contamination constitutes a significant threat to public health and the environment; and (b) the significant threat to public health and the environment is causing, or presents an imminent danger of causing, either irreversible or irreparable damage to the environment. (None in NYS) Class 2(a) the disposal of hazardous waste has been confirmed and the presence of such hazardous waste or its components or breakdown products represent a significant threat to the environment or to health as described in subdivision (a) above; or (b) hazardous waste disposal has not been confirmed, but the site has been listed on the Federal National Priorities List (NPL). Class 3(a) contamination does not presently constitute a significant threat to public health or the environment (b) This classification is used only when there is sufficient information available to conclude that the site does not pose a significant threat. Class 4(a) has been properly closed but that requires continued site management, consisting of operation maintenance, and monitoring. (b) A site whose remedial program stipulates more than one operable unit is eligible for this classification only when all of the operable units have been satisfactorily completed. Class 5(a) all of the operable units have been satisfactorily completed and approved by NYSDEC; (b) the site is in compliance with all applicable regulatory standards; and/or (c) an appropriate monitoring program has been completed and approved by the NYSDEC; and/or (d) further action is not required. Inactive Hazardous Waste

CountyNiagaraErieCattaraugus Class 1000 Class Class Class Class 5141 Class A200 Class C7242 Total Inactive Hazardous Waste NYS DEC Superfund Program

Inactive Hazardous Waste Enlargement of urban areas

Active Hazardous Waste Hazardous Waste Active EPADEC RCRA* TSDF+ Project Area Total: 27 Bulk Stor. Project Area Total: 1744 TSDF+ Project Area Total: 18 LQG Project Area Total: 300 Cor. Act. Project Area Total: 33 TRISACRES SSTSRMP Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) * Some TSDFs are also LQGs and Corrective Action Sites (as of 12/2011) +Treatment, Storage, Disposal Facilities

US EPA Toxic Release Inventory System (TRIS) CountyNumber of Sites Niagara76 Erie202 Cattaraugus21 Total299 Active Hazardous Waste

* Map and data excludes Ballast Discharge and MS4 Permits. CountyNumber of Sites* Niagara180 Erie695 Cattaraugus208 Total1083 NYS DEC State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Water Pollution

Resource Extraction Resource Extraction DEC Mined Land Project Area Total: 270 Wells Project Area Total:12,405

Resource Extraction NYS DEC Oil, Gas and Other Regulated Wells Program CountyNumber of Sites Niagara14 Erie3388 Cattaraugus9003 Total12405

Defense Related Sites USACE – FUSRAP (Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program) Sites of primarily radioactive materials USACE – DERP – FUDS (Defense Environmental Restoration Program - Formerly Used Defense Sites) Sites of non-radioactive hazardous waste

Case Studies Hickory Woods Sycamore Village 858 East Ferry Clean Air Coalition in Tonawanda Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW) West Valley Nuclear Wastes

Population Density and Superfund Sites ANALYSIS Environmental Justice

Superfund Sites within a Half-mile of a Public School : Buffalo Example # of schools within a half mile of Superfund Sites (21 out of 74 public schools in Buffalo) Niagara Co – 12 Erie Co – 24 Cattaraugus Co - 2 ANALYSIS: Environmental Justice

ANALYSIS: WNY Compared to NYS More than Our Fair Share of Problems? US EPA and NYS DEC Superfund Sites NYS DEC Brownfield Cleanup Program US EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) NYS DEC Solid Waste Program US EPA Radiation Information System

Location Total NYS DEC Superfund Total as % of Total Statewide Superfund Statewide Ranking If Equally Distributed %- Niagara645.4%4th Erie877.3%2nd Cattaraugus161.4%25th NYS %- NYS DEC Superfund ANALYSIS WNY Compared to NYS

Location Total US EPA TSD Total as % of Total Statewide US EPA TSD Statewide Ranking If Equally Distributed1.21.6%- Niagara68.2%2nd Erie56.8%3rd Cattaraugus34.1%13th NYS %- US EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) Facilities WNY Compared to NYS

Solid Waste Erie Niagara

US EPA Radiation Information System Only 8 sites in New York State – 2 in WNY Niagara Falls Storage site in the Niagara County West Valley Demonstration Project in Cattaraugus County The Brookhaven National Laboratory in Suffolk County The Colonie Interim Storage Site in Albany County The Environmental Measurement Laboratory in New York County LI Tungsten Corp. in Nassau County The Radium Chemical Company Inc. in Queens County The US DOE Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Saratoga County. ANALYSIS WNY Compared to NYS

Conclusions What does the study suggest? Environmental Justice is threatened in WNY 38 superfund sites within a half mile of a public school 36 superfund sites within Potential Environmental Justice Areas. WNY has a disproportionate share of serious contamination when considering both EPA and DEC Superfund and Radioactive Waste With few exceptions, each county in the study area had more than 1.6% (the fair share) of almost every issue studied. At least one of the three study area counties was near the top of the list in total number of sites with each contamination issue studied. Of the 8 US EPA Radiation Sites in NYS, 2 are in WNY.

Conclusions What else did we learn/confirm? Hazardous waste regulation is an evolving system and the regulatory framework is complex Managing hazardous waste is a relatively new concept Active Waste is much more dynamic that Legacy Waste As program evolves to increase effectiveness and capacity, their complexity increases and public transparency decreases

Thank You! Mapping Waste - Setting the Stage to Clean-Up Niagara