AOC Clean Sweep

Eighteenmile Creek typically hosts an annual clean sweep to remove litter from the AOC and it's headwaters. Typically, one weekend is selected as the host weekend when people can meet and work together. This year, were going to use the months of September and October to allow everyone to work independently. Garbage bags, data sheets and gloves (if available) will be provided to volunteers that wish to participate. Trash collected is recorded and sent to the American Littoral Society and NYS Beach Clean up to track trends in litter. Please contact Scott (scott.collins@ny.nacdnet.net) if you would like to participate.

Click here for a flyer with more details

US Army Corps of Engineers Complete Data Review

The US Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District and ERDC worked together to review all data available to assess BUI impairments below Burt Dam. From this review they also put together a list of recommended actions to make future BUI removals easier. Use the link below to see the report.

Eighteenmile Creek Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC) Sediment Analysis and Assessment of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs)

EPA has a Proposed Plan for OU2

The EPA has revealed their proposed plan for OU2 (from the Erie Canal to Harwood St.). Their will be a public hearing to get the publics feedback on the proposed plan on September 7, 2016. A link to the plan can be found below.

Click here to see the EPA website with the Proposed Plan

or

Use this direct link to the Proposed Plan

Eighteenmile Creek has an EPA Superfund website

Since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has such an active roll to help clean Eighteenmile Creek, they have their own website/fact sheet. They will update the site periodically as they gather more information through their studies.

Click here to see the site

Demolition at 89 Mill Street Underway, Flintkote Next

The environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began the demolition of the old three story brick building at 89 Mill Street and is expected to take 2 to 3 months to complete. The building became a federal superfund site after a company in Texas bought the plant and refused to comply with an asbestos assessment and abatement.

Community Fact Sheet

Eighteenmile Creek AOC and Lake Ontario LaMP Table at the 2014 Niagara County Fair

Former Flintkote Building Could Be Coming Down Soon

198 and 300 Mill Street in Lockport are the locations in question for the probable cause of contamination of Eighteenmile Creek. The Flintkote Company began as a felt manufacturer in 1928 and in 1935 began manufacturing sound-deadening and tufting felt for automobiles. Manufacturing continued until December of 1971 when the plant shut down. Disposal of wastes was largely unknown but looking at aerial photography suggests that disposal on the site was occurring as early as 1938. The major contaminants of Eighteenmile Creek are Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other heavy metals such as copper, mercury, and lead.

 These contaminants have accumulated in the soil and sediment all the way downstream in Eighteenmile Creek and have caused 5 beneficial use impairments (BUIs) in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern (AOC). These beneficial use impairments are: 1.) Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, 2.) Degradation of fish and wildlife populations, 3.) Bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems, 4.) Degradation of benthos, and 5.) Restrictions on dredging activities. The demolition of the former Flintkote Factory at 198 and 300 Mill Street marks the beginning of cleanup and restoration of Eighteenmile  Creek. The lead agency in charge of the project  is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the site was listed as a Federal Superfund Site. The demolition of the Flintkote factory was scheduled for June/July 2014 timeframe, but unexpected costs of homeowner relocation on water street has put demolition on hold until 2015.

For More Information:

http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/18milecreek/

EPA Community Coordinator

Mike Basile (716) 551-4410

GM GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) Program

GM, Earth Force, and Niagara County Soil and and Water Conservation District are working together to implement this program for Eighteenmile Creek. This program aims to improve the quality of service-learning/action civics programs in schools and offer training, support and coordination to community-based organizations, local governmental agencies, business and other organizations that should have a role in engaging youth in civic action.

In this program students will use their study of science, technology, engineering, and math to investigate watershed problems and civic skills to engage community members to solve those problems. Participants in the GM GREEN program will have a deeper understanding of scientific issues, expand their civic skills and be more likely to act as a community problem solvers as a result of participating.

Currently 3 local High Schools are involved in this program, Lockport High School, Newfane High School, and Niagara Orleans BOCES.

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Eighteenmile Creek Site Public Meeting held on August 13, 2013

Representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public meeting on August 13, 2013, to discuss EPA�s Proposed Plan to cleanup nine residential properties and demolish an industrial building at the former Flintkote Plant site as part of the first phase of cleanup at the Eighteenmile Creek Superfund Site, Lockport, New York.

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Proposed Plan from EPA

In July of 2013 the U.s. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed plan to remediate the Eighteenmile Creek Superfund Site under operable unit 1 (OU1).

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Community Update on Eighteenmile Creek Superfund Site

he EPA is planning to approach the clean up of the site in three different actions.

Action 1: Contaminated Residential properties in the Creek Corridor and demolition of the former Flintkote building.

Action 2: Contaminated Industrial and Commercial properties in the Creek Corridor

Action 3: Contaminated sediment in the Creek from Lockport to the Creek discharge to Lake Ontario.

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Eighteenmile Creek now has a Superfund Site

On June 30, 2011 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) referred the site to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to include it on the federal National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites.

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Eighteenmile Creek Stage II Remedial Action Plan Update

A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is an integrated, whole ecosystem approach to remediating impaired water bodies. The RAP first identifies use impairments, their causes, and contaminant sources, using existing studies and data. Next, existing cleanup and regulatory programs which apply to the water body are identified. A coordinated cleanup strategy is then developed to eliminate the use impairments.

Click here to download the Eighteenmile Creek RAP Stage II Update