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I have spent many hours on this landfill, I toured the site with some knowledgeable people and we all agree this nuclear waste must be removed. I cannot figure out for the life of me why these people have been excavating around and in the landfill itself. When they dig they hit water… What does that tell you?

I recently went to a symposium with Sister Rosalie Bertell, she talked about a simple blood test that can be done to see if the children are being affected by what ever is in there. This blood test can be both predictors that a body is at risk or safe and that there are relatively simple ways to restore a child or adult to health if the problem is identified early enough.

We have to remove this and the fighting over who pays needs to be over with now. The risks are too great for delay.

Pressure mounts for removal of N-wastes

Demand is growing for removing radioactive wastes from the Town of Tonawanda Landfill before the site is capped.

“The removal of this waste will facilitate the final closure of the landfill in an environmentally sound manner that is protective of the health and welfare of residents,” Tonawanda Supervisor Ronald H. Moline said Tuesday.

The landfill’s northern border abuts a City of Tonawanda neighborhood whose residents have organized a grass-roots group, Clean Up Riverview’s Environment, to fight for environmental and health testing.

Moline is among a growing contingent of elected officials and environmental experts opposing the “no action” remedy recommended by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the wastes present acceptable human risks and can be left safely buried. The public comment period on the corps’ recommendation runs through Oct. 15.

Earlier this month, Robert J. Phaneuf, acting director of the state Department of Conservation’ s Bureau of Hazardous Waste and Radiation Management, filed his objections.

In a letter to the corps, Phaneuf cited the federal Department of Energy’s 1992 conclusion that the wastes originated at the Linde Air Products Division of Union Carbide Corp. from operations of the Manhattan Project, which involved the research and development of nuclear weapons. The Energy Department said the site should be cleaned up.

“Therefore, the federal government remains responsible for the proper handling and disposal of this waste,” Phaneuf said, adding that the costs “are all the responsibility of the federal government and must not be passed on to the town.”

State Sen. Mary Lou Rath, R-Williamsville, and Assemblyman Robin L. Schimminger, D-Kenmore, also sent letters to the corps.

“I am particularly concerned about the Army Corps of Engineers proposal that this . . . material, located near the boundaries of the landfill, might be safely capped and left in place,” Rath wrote. “It seems perfectly clear that no matter how low-level that material may be, considering both its location near residential areas and the slope requirements in capping the landfill, this material must be removed.”

“As one of the individuals who worked with local and federal officials on this issue for many years, I am stunned by the corps’ recommendation. ” Schimminger wrote. “This `no action’ plan flies in the face of all of our efforts to date and ironically brings the process to full circle. Keep in mind that over a decade ago, we were assured that all [Manhattan Project] waste would be cleaned up and shipped to an out-of-state facility. The landfill reports contradicts that promise.”