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A 166 ft (51 m) concrete silo was erected within the east boundary of the LOOW, immediately next to Porter Center Road, which was publicly accessible. A fence with signs warning of "radioactive material" ran next to the road. In 1952, drums containing 3,869 short tons (3,510,000 kg)
570:
Federal mismanagement at the site was manifested by sloppy and deficient record-keeping procedures, inadequate mapping of buried wastes, and technological primitivism with regard to waste storage and removal. Moreover, it is clear that the site should never have been chosen for the storage of
345:
Construction of the TNT plant began in
January 1941, and employed over 7,500 workers. The production and storage areas occupied approximately 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) near the center of property, and the remaining 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) was undeveloped and used as a "buffer zone". A
529:
currently owns and operates a 713-acre (289 ha) treatment, storage, disposal, and recovery facility near the center of the former LOOW property. It is the only hazardous waste landfill remaining in the
Northeastern United States, and was the location where the
341:
The 149 private landowners living there—mostly farmers and orchard growers—were given 30 days to move out, and most of their 125 farmhouses and 538 barns were torn down or burned. Some homes located on the periphery of the LOOW boundary were kept.
597:
concluded in 2014 that there was "no evidence of potential source areas or releases of contamination to groundwater, surface water, or soil associated with any of the ground disturbances evaluated" at the former LOOW site.
401:
Beginning in 1943, Building 401 was used as the powerhouse for the production of TNT, though operations lasted less than a year. Building 401 was renovated, and from 1953–59 and 1965–71, it was used as a
379:
More than 1,300 acres (530 ha) were sold or transferred between 1955 and 1975, although the area on which the
Niagara Falls Storage Site is located remained in the possession of the U.S. government.
443:
Construction of the interim waste containment structure was completed in 1991, and is located entirely within the
Niagara Falls Storage Site. The 10-acre (4.0 ha) mound is used for the storage of
1160:
550:
Approximately 380 private residences and a mobile home park are located within the footprint of the former LOOW site. A school, several small farms, a 13-acre (5.3 ha) campground, and the
1165:
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551:
292:
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hall, water supply system, and waste treatment facility were located at the LOOW, and TNT was manufactured for about 9 months, until the plant was decommissioned in 1943.
1185:
406:
isotope separation plant. The interior of
Building 401 was gutted in 1971, and its hardware and instrumentation were disposed of. Building 401 was demolished in 2010.
1195:
605:, making it eligible for environmental restoration funds available from the U.S. Army. One portion of the property containing contaminated groundwater is listed as a
439:
Looking east, 2002. From foreground to background are the interim waste containment structure, the former
Building 401, and the Modern Disposal Residential landfill.
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372:
had by 1948 sold or transferred 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of the original property, and the remaining 1,500 acres (610 ha) were given to the newly formed
1067:
122:
1175:
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87:
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was given an 860-acre (350 ha) parcel of land from the original LOOW property, located on the northeast boundary. Beginning in 1957 it housed 36
365:
began using the LOOW site for the storage and transshipment of radioactive residues and wastes created through the processing of uranium ore at Linde.
914:
57:
435:
1180:
373:
981:
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288:(NFSS) is located. The NFSS is used for the storage of radioactive materials produced during the development of America's first atom bombs.
170:
393:
716:
281:
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1150:
492:
1068:"The Community LOOW Project: A Review of Environmental Investigations and Remediation at the Former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works"
590:: "the Army Corps engineers, currently charged with the cleanup, readily admit they don't know everything that went on there".
270:
200:
40:
976:. Washington, D.C.: National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes. 1995. p. 7.
311:
618:
alleged that radiation at the site was causing an ongoing hazard for the nearby
Lewiston-Porter Central School District.
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448:
and residues, and the grass-covered "interim cap" is designed to retard both rainwater infiltration and radon emission.
347:
680:
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717:"Final Site Inspection Report: Ground Disturbances at the Former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works Niagara County, New York"
602:
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655:
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Currently, approximately 7,000-acre (2,800 ha) or 93 percent of the original LOOW site meets the criteria of a
1074:
809:
358:
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Approximately 93 percent of the original LOOW site—currently occupied by homes, a school, a campground, the
369:
332:
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purchased a large portion of the original LOOW property from a private landowner in 1975 to use as a dump site.
259:
634:
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508:
472:
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295:, farms, local and federal government operations, and a toxic waste facility—meets the criteria of a
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In 1951, laboratory waste and animals that had been injected with plutonium during experiments at the
397:
Building 401 prior to demolition in 2010. The three silos were built to resemble a barn from the air.
320:
30:
635:
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (historical)
973:
Safety of the High-level
Uranium Ore Residues at the Niagara Falls Storage Site, Lewiston, New York
511:, on which they located an experimental rocket fuel plant called the Youngstown Test Annex Site.
484:
451:
All of the contaminated and radioactive materials stored at the former LOOW site—including
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445:
241:
1040:"A Toxic Waste Capital Looks to Spread It Around; Upstate Dump Is the Last in the Northeast"
1010:
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554:, which attracts thousands of visitors annually, are also located in the former LOOW site.
327:. The location was selected because of its proximity to chemical manufacturing plants, to
815:. New York State Assembly Task Force on Toxic Substances. January 29, 1981. Archived from
614:
488:
354:
324:
274:
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The LOOW headquarters were at first located in a vegetable canning factory at the site.
507:
A 98-acre (40 ha) parcel of land from the original LOOW property was given to the
1139:
998:
848:
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424:
999:"Model City USA: The Environmental Cost of Victory in World War II and the Cold War"
328:
233:
427:
were loaded into the silo. The concrete silo was dismantled sometime after 1979.
284:
currently owns 191 acres (77 ha) of the original LOOW property, on which the
353:
Uranium used to produce the first atom bombs from 1942 to 1948 was processed by
1014:
947:"Demolition of Building 401 at Niagara Falls Storage Site, Lewiston, New York"
744:
535:
1100:"Remedial Investigation Fact Sheet: Occidental Chemical Corporation Property"
137:
124:
606:
319:
The War
Department purchased 7,500-acre (3,000 ha) of farmland east of
300:
879:
418:
Looking west, 1941. The concrete silo is in the center of the photograph.
541:
Modern Disposal Services operates a landfill on the former LOOW property.
237:
816:
882:. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. March 31, 2011
531:
456:
452:
460:
1124:
Rick Forgione and Aaron Besecker (2005-07-24). "What lies beneath".
810:"An Interim Report to New York State Assembly Speaker, Stanley Fink"
262:, United States, approximately 9.6 mi (15.4 km) north of
434:
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403:
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310:
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was a 7,500-acre (3,000 ha) military installation located in
579:
had been stored "in rusting barrels stacked along the roadside".
920:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. August 31, 2011. Archived from
566:
wrote that the LOOW was "born in the crisis of war", and that:
273:
during World War II as a location for the production of
781:. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia. pp. 43–45.
491:
surface-to-air missiles intended to protect the nearby
564:
New York State Assembly Task Force on Toxic Substances
552:
Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
346:
hospital, dormitories, fire department, power plant,
293:
Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
277:. Most of the LOOW property was sold after the war.
1161:
Radioactive waste repositories in the United States
775:Dietz, Suzanne Simon; Freiermuth, Amy Lynn (2010).
229:
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299:, and one portion of the property is listed as a
16:Military installation in Niagara County, New York
1073:. Niagara County. September 2008. Archived from
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747:. Environmental Protection Agency. April 7, 2015
1166:United States Army arsenals during World War II
568:
1191:United States Department of Energy facilities
495:. The property is currently licensed to the
8:
1171:Military installations of the United States
463:-226—were placed into the structure.
459:, and the world's largest concentration of
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499:, and is used as a weekend training site.
475:were shipped to the LOOW site for burial.
20:
854:. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp.
686:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. June 2015
571:radioactive materials in the first place.
1186:Environmental issues in New York (state)
1105:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. May 2013
841:
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1196:1941 establishments in New York (state)
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323:, in 1941 as a location to manufacture
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915:"Niagara Falls Storage Site, New York"
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586:wrote about the LOOW in her 2008 book
1146:Geography of Niagara County, New York
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595:United States Army Corps of Engineers
335:, and to water and electrical power.
171:United States Army Corps of Engineers
7:
681:"Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW)"
656:"Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW)"
593:An extensive study conducted by the
1176:Superfund sites in New York (state)
1038:DePalma, Anthony (March 10, 2004).
493:Niagara Hydroelectric Power Project
431:Interim waste containment structure
248:Geographic Names Information System
45:Lake Ontario Ordnance Works in 1941
534:-contaminated desk of news-anchor
515:Private waste treatment facilities
282:United States Department of Energy
269:The property was purchased by the
256:Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW)
14:
93:
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63:
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201:United States Department of War
1181:Landfills in the United States
952:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
745:"C W M Chemical Services, LLC"
722:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
658:. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1:
315:Dormitories at the LOOW, 1943
107:Show map of the United States
497:New York Army National Guard
997:Jenks, Andrew (July 2002).
363:Manhattan Engineer District
101:Lake Ontario Ordnance Works
71:Lake Ontario Ordnance Works
24:Lake Ontario Ordnance Works
1212:
603:Formerly Used Defense Site
297:Formerly Used Defense Site
286:Niagara Falls Storage Site
370:War Assets Administration
333:New York Central Railroad
247:
50:
38:
28:
538:was disposed of in 2001.
384:Buildings and operations
374:Atomic Energy Commission
260:Niagara County, New York
1151:Manhattan Project sites
1015:10.1093/envhis/12.3.552
846:Strand, Ginger (2008).
521:Hooker Chemical Company
509:United States Air Force
503:US Air Force operations
473:University of Rochester
612:A 2005 article in the
575:The report added that
573:
440:
423:of highly-radioactive
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1080:on September 17, 2021
1003:Environmental History
527:Waste Management, Inc
467:Rochester Burial Site
438:
417:
396:
314:
138:43.22750°N 78.97639°W
33:in United States
927:on February 23, 2017
880:"Linde Air Products"
321:Youngstown, New York
157:315 feet (96 m)
77:Show map of New York
31:Youngstown, New York
361:, and in 1944, the
143:43.22750; -78.97639
134: /
485:United States Army
479:US Army operations
441:
420:
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355:Linde Air Products
317:
983:978-0-309-58669-6
865:978-1-4165-4656-6
858:, 243, 245, 246.
850:Inventing Niagara
822:on April 11, 2015
788:978-0-7385-4461-8
588:Inventing Niagara
577:radioactive waste
446:radioactive waste
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242:Manhattan Project
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197:Built by
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1156:Project Nike
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1107:. Retrieved
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1082:. Retrieved
1075:the original
1047:. Retrieved
1043:
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954:. Retrieved
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922:the original
884:. Retrieved
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824:. Retrieved
817:the original
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749:. Retrieved
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329:Fort Niagara
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234:World War II
177:Site history
18:
254:The former
218:–1948
207:In use
141: /
117:Coordinates
1140:Categories
1109:August 27,
1084:August 27,
1049:August 27,
1020:August 27,
956:August 27,
931:August 27,
886:August 27,
826:August 27,
751:August 27,
726:August 27,
690:August 27,
662:August 27,
622:References
546:Other uses
536:Tom Brokaw
357:in nearby
129:78°58′35″W
126:43°13′39″N
607:Superfund
359:Tonawanda
331:, to the
301:Superfund
778:Lewiston
404:Boron-10
238:Cold War
582:Author
532:anthrax
457:uranium
453:thorium
307:History
220: (
212: (
187: (
980:
862:
785:
461:radium
230:Events
154:Height
1103:(PDF)
1078:(PDF)
1071:(PDF)
950:(PDF)
925:(PDF)
918:(PDF)
820:(PDF)
813:(PDF)
720:(PDF)
684:(PDF)
182:Built
167:Owner
1111:2015
1086:2015
1051:2015
1022:2015
978:ISBN
958:2015
933:2015
888:2015
860:ISBN
828:2015
783:ISBN
753:2015
728:2015
692:2015
664:2015
489:Nike
483:The
368:The
280:The
222:1948
214:1941
210:1941
189:1941
185:1941
1011:doi
856:242
348:USO
325:TNT
275:TNT
1142::
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
