Federal and state environmental regulators announced on Saturday, August 1st that preliminary evaluations indicate the “vast majority” of properties tested during a recent regional radiological survey will require no further action. However, the state’s reassuring messaging stands in sharp contrast to mounting criticism over Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration and its handling of an urgent environmental crisis unfolding mere yards from the historic Love Canal containment area.
As teams from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) begin notifying property owners that their locations are clear, a Niagara Falls family remains in limbo after discovering toxic industrial debris and hazardous air readings inside their home. Despite desperate pleas sent directly to Hochul’s office requesting emergency evacuation, the state has yet to provide relocation support or a definitive timeline for comprehensive safety testing.
The environmental concern centers on the 1000 block of 99th Street and began earlier this month after homeowners Daniel and Jocelyn McKiernan initiated an above-ground pool installation. Excavation work unearthed a “significant” amount of “unusual” soil and granular fill material, featuring dark staining across multiple spots and a “thick, dark layer” beneath the surface…