 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:
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.
Our call center team will do their best to provide you with general information about the project and help direct property-specific questions for follow-up by a community liaison, health physicist, or other specialist involved in understanding your property’s data.
As assessment work continues, field teams are using the locations of interest identified to date by aerial and roadway surveys to prioritize property screenings. 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.
While we welcome residents to continue to submit access agreements for new properties, our data will drive the decision-making process on where we screen first.
The team has made remarkable progress in the past several weeks and nearly all properties providing access have received initial screening. We appreciate the cooperation of the hundreds of property owners and renters who helped us achieve this initial milestone.
Once any additional properties with access are completed, EPA and NYSDEC, in consultation with NYSDOH, may expand screening to other areas after evaluating survey results.
More than 1,060 property owners have signed access agreements to have their properties screened, and our field teams have completed screening surveys at more than 1,020 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 760 properties have received notification indicating no additional radiological investigation is needed at those properties. 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. The Environmental Unit is still reviewing the results for over 200 of these. Thirty-seven properties to date 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.
|
