Testing expands into Niagara Falls neighbourhoods
State and federal teams conducting a radiological survey of Niagara and Erie counties were observed this week collecting soil samples in the Niagara Falls area, according to local television reporting. Crews from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were seen working around a garage on the corner of Jerauld Avenue and 26th Street, where they dug through a yard and took soil for analysis.
The work in Niagara Falls makes the city the third location where field teams have performed testing in recent weeks. Earlier sampling was reported on Morgan Drive in Lewiston, where gamma detectors were walked through the neighbourhood, and in the town of Niagara, where soil samples were collected at a home identified in reporting as belonging to Lexi Hawk.
“We are seeing Thorium at elevated levels. But we need the soil samples to really confirm what is there.” — DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton
In the field, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator described the agencies’ intentions in similarly direct terms.
“We are here to help the people, trying to take care of something that should have been done a long time ago,”the coordinator, Pete Lisichenko, said in the coverage.
The teams’ activity in Niagara Falls was observed around a private residence; the occupant, who has reportedly moved into the home recently, declined to be on camera and told reporters they were not overly concerned about long-term effects. Beyond those on-site comments, the agencies have stressed that laboratory analysis of collected soil samples is required to confirm the precise nature and levels of any radiological material.
Where testing has been reported
- Jerauld Avenue and 26th Street (Niagara Falls) — crews seen digging and collecting soil samples.
- Morgan Drive (Lewiston) — gamma detectors walked through the neighbourhood.
- Town of Niagara — initial soil samples taken at a private residence earlier in the campaign.
The DEC has publicly identified thorium as a material observed at elevated levels in the region, but its statement also emphasises that confirmation requires laboratory testing of the collected soils. The involvement of both state and federal environmental agencies signals a coordinated response to whatever elevated readings have been detected by field instrumentation.
| Location | Activity reported |
|---|---|
| Jerauld Ave & 26th St, Niagara Falls | Soil sampling around private property |
| Morgan Drive, Lewiston | Gamma detectors walked through neighbourhood |
| Town of Niagara | Initial soil samples taken at private residence |
For residents on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, the coverage raises questions about cross-border environmental monitoring and public information. Provincial and municipal officials in Ontario have not been quoted in the reporting that documented field work on the New York side; the public statements cited were from DEC and EPA representatives leading the U.S.-side investigation.
As the agencies analyse the soil samples, the DEC’s framing — that thorium has been seen “at elevated levels” but requires confirmation via laboratory analysis — is likely to be the determinative factor in next steps. Residents with concerns about local soil, air or water quality should monitor official updates from the DEC and EPA and look to Ontario public-health or environmental authorities for any cross-border advisories that may be issued in response.
Local coverage noted the presence of teams actively sampling residential yards; the agencies’ forthcoming laboratory results and any subsequent public guidance will determine whether further action or broader public information is warranted.
