USACE Buffalo District Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) FUSRAP Remedial and Site Services

NFSS occupies approximately 1,500 acres of the original 7,500-acre Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW), a former trinitrotoluene (TNT) manufacturing facility built in 1941. After a bustling period of approximately nine months dedicated to TNT production, the site was decommissioned in 1943 and subsequently reassigned to the Manhattan Engineer District in 1944. It then became a repository for radioactive waste and residues generated during the production of the atomic bomb. Over the years, the site has emitted alarming levels of radiation, contaminating the soil, surface water, and drainage ditches, leading to deadly cancers and other ailments among nearby residents.

Recognizing the dire impact on human health, the USACE initiated plans in 2018 for the removal of all radioactive and contaminated materials from the site. This project will be executed in three distinct phases, led by Enviro-Fix.

During the initial phase, Enviro-Fix will focus on the complete removal of "lower activity waste," including dismantling buildings, excavating foundations, and extracting contaminated soils and polluted groundwater on 191 acres across the site. Approximately 6,000 cubic yards of soil and 4,000 gallons of polluted groundwater are expected to be safely removed, transported, and disposed of at a licensed and approved waste disposal facility. This marks a crucial step towards mitigating the longstanding hazards posed by the NFSS.