Press Release
August 31, 2018
Randy Simons
Dan Keefe
518.486.1868
Removal of Compromised Soils on Niagara Falls Entrance Project Complete
Welcome Plaza Project Still Set for Completion in Summer of 2019
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) confirms that the contaminated soil discovered on the Niagara Falls State Park Prospect Point Welcome Plaza Project has been successfully removed from the site and shipped off to a licensed and approved waste facility.
The materials,identified as slag from decades ago and a petroleum substance, were contained immediately upon discovery. The compromised soils located in a fenced-off construction area were inaccessible to the public at all times and never posed an impact to public health and safety.
The exact weight of the materials will be calculated once all materials have arrived and been weighed at Waste Management`s Mahoning Landfill in New Springfield, Ohio over the next few days. The estimated weight of all materials is expected to be approximately 1,500 tons. The estimated cost of clean-up and removal is $725,000.
Upon completion next summer the Niagara Falls State Park Prospect Point Welcome Plaza Project will serve as an inviting new entrance gateway to the park. The project will cap the $70 million transformation of the oldest state park in the nation.Prospect Point, Cave of the Winds, Terrapin Point, Three Sisters Islands, Luna Island, Stedman's Bluff and the Park Police Station were just some of the major upgrades at the park under the transformation.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in park and visitor spending,which supports nearly 54,000 jobs and over $2.8 billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov, connect with us on Facebook,or follow on Instagram and Twitter.