Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Requests Seneca Nation Protect the Buffalo River and Surrounding Communities
After decades of coordinating costly remediation, the organization urges transparency around proposed land use, known or suspected groundwater contamination, and any future potential negative environmental impact.
Buffalo River, NY: Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has dedicated nearly 40 years to the restoration and protection of the Buffalo River, a historical waterway that is still recovering from generations of pollution, abuse, and poor land use decisions.
The organization is responsible for convening the Buffalo River Restoration Partnership, made up of public, private, and nonprofit partners, whom over the span of 20 years, have deployed over $100 million to remove 1 million cubic yards of toxic contamination from the river and restored over 2 miles of shoreline. This restoration effort and resulting economic revitalization has been internationally recognized and serves as a model for river restoration in the Great Lakes.
Many of the contaminants of concern already remediated from the river include petroleum-related compounds, PAHs, and metals including arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Publicly available information from multiple previous brownfield clean-ups along this stretch of Ohio Street demonstrate the area contains shallow groundwater, approximately 4–6 ft below ground surface, and it flows west toward the Buffalo River.
It should be presumed that any proposed development in this area will have some impact on the river and environment, which is why thorough environmental testing and assessment for lands that were formally industrialized are usually legally required. It is concerning that it appears that development is rapidly occurring at 5 Miami Street without transparency, external communication or if there is any environmental testing or protections being put into place.
“We respect the boundaries of the Nation’s sovereignty, however in the natural world, we know that water and pollution follow no such geo-political boundaries,” said Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. “Deliberate reintroduction of a polluting land use along a corridor that has taken generations to clean-up and remediate is both frustrating and concerning. It is critically important that development pauses until there is transparency and assessment of potential environmental and health impacts to the river, groundwater, and surrounding communities. We encourage the City of Buffalo and the NYS DEC to engage with the Nation to ensure ongoing protection of the still-recovering Buffalo River.”
