 Welcome to the community newsletter for the Niagara and Erie County Radiological Assessment (NECRA) project to help keep interested residents, businesses, and community leaders updated about the initiative’s progress. You can unsubscribe at any time using the ‘unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of this page.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), in consultation with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), continue to advance the radiological assessment across areas of interest in Niagara and Erie counties and are committed to keeping the public informed.
In this issue:
Our call center will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Normal hours will resume on Tuesday, September 8.
Please call 844-612-8144 Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to reach our NECRA team. If you call outside these hours and leave a message, call center representatives will get back to you during operational times.
Have questions? Meet with our team!
At the drop-in tabling sessions, representatives from EPA, NYSDEC, and NYSDOH will be present to answer questions and provide information to residents. We held drop-in tabling sessions at the Calvin K. Richards Senior/Youth Activity Center, the Grand Island Welcome Center, the Niagara Falls Convention Center and the Lewiston Library. Over 300 residents attended those sessions, asking questions, and learning more about the property access and survey process.
We’re holding the next drop-in tabling session on September 9, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Orchard Park Public Library, 4570 S. Buffalo St, Orchard Park, NY 14127.
As assessment work continues, field teams are using the locations of interest identified to date by aerial and roadway surveys to prioritize property screenings. While we welcome residents to continue to submit property access agreements, our data will drive the decision-making process on where we screen first. Once that work is complete, EPA and NYSDEC may expand screening to other areas after evaluating survey results.
Visiting properties within an area of interest does not confirm contamination. It means the agencies observed radiological measurements that require closer ground-level evaluation and more information is needed. Agencies will not access properties without permission and will keep residents informed throughout the process if screening is allowed.
Once NYSDEC and EPA have a signed access form giving permission to conduct surveys on a property, we contact the property owner and schedule an outdoor radiological screening.
How do we screen large properties?
For large, accessible properties, we use a specially equipped Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) to complete the screening survey. The UTV is equipped with a spectrometer and two gamma detectors (one mounted on the right and one on the left of the UTV) as well as an integrated GPS system. To collect data, the UTV operator drives in a grid across the property at approximately 5 miles-per-hour while using a tablet to view the collected data to ensure that they get full coverage of the property. The data collected from this equipment is in counts-per-second (CPS) which is then converted to counts-per-minute (CPM), which helps the agencies assess risk thresholds. This system allows us to screen large properties like parks more effectively, but does not work well on forested lots.
NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers operate the NECRA project UTV.
UTV equipped with a spectrometer and two gamma detectors.
Over 1,000 property owners have signed access agreements to have their properties screened and our field teams have completed screening surveys at over 900 of those properties. We are continuing to schedule screenings. Preliminary data reviews indicate that the vast majority of properties screened will need no further action. To date, more than 630 properties received notification indicating no additional radiological investigation is needed at their property. Information packets, which include a formal letter of determination, a copy of the property’s screening map, fact sheet, and frequently asked questions with contact information, were mailed to property owners. Notifications to residents and property owners will be forwarded on a continuing basis as the data is reviewed. Thirty-two properties have been referred by NYSDEC to EPA for additional assessment.
Visit on.ny.gov/NECRA to view the July 20 meeting presentation, informational fact sheets about fieldwork, soil sampling, radiation health and safety, and how to contact agency representatives.
NECRA Hotline: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m: 844-612-8144
NECRA Email: NECRA@dec.ny.gov
NYSDEC, NYSDOH, and EPA will continue providing updates as fieldwork progresses and additional information becomes available.
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