WELCOME TO THE MIDDLEPORT COMMUNITY INPUT GROUP

The notes from the CIG's January 12, 2010 CIG meeting are now available. They can also be downloaded using the link below.

The government agencies with oversight of the arsenic contamination studies and remediation projects in the Middleport area conducted an open public session at the fire hall on Wednesday, January 13, to receive comments from concerned residents and property owners on the results of the facilities investigation along the Jeddo Creek tributary south of Pearson Rd.

The report of the investigation is provided in the document entitled RCRA Facilities Investigation #5. The text and some figures can be downloaded from the document repository of this web site by clicking here.

The report includes the sampling data taken from properties near or bordering the tributary between Francis St. and Pearson Rd. and land within the floodplain of the tributary. These results will be used in the Corrective Measures Study for the tributary to determine what remedial action will be taken in that area.

A notice was be mailed by the agencies to all concerned parties (residents, property owners, local governments, stakeholders, etc.) announcing the session. To view the text of this notice click here.

Those who still wish to make comments may mail them to:

Matt Mortifolio, DEC Project Manager
NYS DEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-7258

The last date to submit comments is February 15, 2010. The Agencies will provide written responses to all comments which will be available some time later at the Middleport Library, and on this web site.

The notes from the CIG's November 20, 2009 CIG meeting are now available. They can also be downloaded using the link below.

Notes from the first part of the CIG's October 22, 2009 meeting notes are available. They can also be downloaded using the link below.

As part of the Corrective Measures Study, FMC will include a study on the feasibility of soil tilling as a technology to reduce surface contamination of arsenic by blending uncontaminated soil below the surface with contaminated top soil.

A couple of methods will be used: tilling and bull dozing. The tilling study will be performed on two parcels in Middleport, one in the Air Deposition Area and one along Culvert 105. A combination of shallow tilling and bull dozing will be used on the parcel along the culvert. A deep tilling machine will be used on the parcel in the Air Deposition Area. This machine can till soil up to 3 feet deep. Use this link to view a picture of this machine.

FMC will perform this experiment the week of November 16th, weather permitting.

As part of the Corrective Measures Study to be performed in Middleport by FMC under guidance by the government agencies (USEPA, NYSDEC and NYSDOH) there was a risk assessment study conducted by Dr. Rosalind Schoof of Integral Consulting. The assessment will be used to determine how the arsenic contamination in Middleport soils affects the residents and at what levels contamination becomes a concern.

The result of the survey can be viewed by clicking here.

Dr. Schoof is an internationally recognized expert on arsenic in the environment and has performed past studies on the arsenic contamination in Middleport.

Dr. Schoof held information workshops on November 4th and 5th. A flyer was delivered door to door in the CMS study areas. That flyer can be viewed by clicking here.

Question: Is there a study which indicates what levels of arsenic in soil are acceptable/safe to permit human habitation?


Yes indeed there are several! Anaconda Montana, Denver Colorado and Omaha Nebraska are just a few. The one fact to be aware of is that each state has their own criteria for acceptable levels of arsenic in soil. In Anaconda it is 250 PPM, in Denver it is 75 PPM in Omaha it is 70 PPM for children, adults much higher. In New York it is 13 and 16 PPM depending on the land usage. The reason for the disparity is what naturally occurs in each state and what assumptions are used by the calculating government agencies. What seems to be lost is that we are all the same species of humans and what is safe for one region should be the same for another.

For more information and documents covering some of the studies, look through the Document Repository on this site in Arsenic In Soil - Related Documents within the repository section. (Use this link). The Health Consultation report for Omaha prepared by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry which is part of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services is one of the documents there (look for Health Consultation - East Omaha, Nebraska).