Eighteen Mile Creek
Niagara County, NY

The Eighteen Mile Creek site is located in Niagara County, New York, on the south side of Lake Ontario. Much of the flow in the main branch of Eighteen Mile Creek comes from water diverted from the New York State Barge Canal (NYSBC). The creek flows north for approximately 15 miles and discharges into Lake Ontario in Olcott, New York.

Eighteen Mile Creek has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 19th century when it was used as a source of power. Eighteen Mile Creek was designated as an area of concern (AOC) because of water quality and bottom sediment problems associated with past industrial and municipal discharge practices, the disposal of waste and the use of pesticides. Sampling indicates the presence of numerous contaminants in creek sediments, the most prevalent being Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Other pollutants include mercury, lead, copper, pesticides/insecticides, dioxins, and furans.

Specific causes of contamination have not been determined, but possible sources may include releases from hazardous waste sites or contaminated properties, industrial in municipal wastewater discharges, and stormwater and combined sewer overflow discharges. The Burt and Newfane dams, both located on Eighteen Mile Creek downstream of the Corridor Site, may serve as areas within the creek where contaminated sediments accumulate.

The land within the Eighteen Mile Creek watershed consists primarily of croplands and orchards, with residential, commercial and industrial areas located around Lockport, Newfane, and Olcott Harbor. There are several wetlands along the contaminated portion of the creek, and evidence of fishing has been reported in the Eighteen Mile Creek Corridor and other portions of the creek. Fisherman’s Park, a public fishing area located within Eighteen Mile Creek just downstream of Burt Dam, is a major fishing destination where several species of fish are caught and consumed. The reach of Eighteen Mile Creek between Burt Dam and Lake Ontario is classified as an AOC by the EPA Great Lakes Nation Program Office due to its natural resources value within the Lake Ontario watershed.

Eighteen Mile Creek and surrounding properties have been the focus of numerous investigations by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and EPA since the late 1980s.

For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for these final and proposed sites, on the day of publication visit: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

With the proposal of this site to the NPL, a 60-day comment period will begin during which EPA solicits public input regarding this action. For instructions to submit comments, go to:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/pubcom.htm

Comments can be submitted, identified by Docket number by one of the following methods:

Docket number EPA-HQ-SFUND-2011-0650

www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Email: superfund.docket@epa.gov

Mail: Mail comments (no facsimiles or tapes) to Docket Coordinator, Headquarters; U.S, Environmental Protection Agency; CERCLA Docket Office; (Mail Code 5305T); 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20460

Hand Delivery or Express Mail: Send comments (no facsimiles or tapes) to Docket Coordinator, Headquarters, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; CERCLA Docket Office, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW EPA West, Room 3334, Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s Norman hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays).

For more information on the NPL Site listing process, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

or contact Ildefonso Acosta, Region 2 NPL Coordinator, at  212-637-4344, acosta.ildefonso@epa.gov