Press Release
September 19, 2018
Randy Simons | Dan Keefe
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov
Niagara Falls Welcome Plaza Project Update
Additional Slag Discovered and Contained onsite while Cleanup Advances
No Threat to Public Health and Safety
During the continued construction of the Niagara Falls State Park Prospect Point Welcome Plaza Project, contractors for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) discovered a limited area of additional slag to be cleaned up on park property. The materials have already been contained and pose no threat to public health and safety as they are in the same fenced-off project area, inaccessible to the public, as last month's discovery.
Last month approximately 1,500 tons of materials were safely removed from the site and transported to an approved and licensed waste facility in Ohio. With the latest discovery, State Parks is working with The Department of Environmental Conservation to identify and remove the materials in accordance with regulations. The cleanup activities will not impact visitation to the Park or result in delays to the Welcome Plaza Project.
Upon completion 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.