FUSRAP Seaway Site 5-year review of selected remedy

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District Press Release

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District is performing a five-year review of the selected remedy for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Seaway Site, located within the 100-acre Seaway Industrial Park located along River Road in the Town of Tonawanda.

USACE, as the lead federal agency for FUSRAP, is responsible under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to review the protectiveness of the selected remedy every five years following the start of remedial action.

The selected remedy, containment with limited off-site disposal, is outlined in the 2009 record of decision for the site. The selected remedy required the capping of Seaway areas A, B and C within the landfill boundaries, and was completed in December of 2025. The cap for the FUSRAP-related material (soil contaminated with radium, thorium, uranium, and uranium daughter products) was constructed of multiple layers of various types of soil, fabric and geomembranes at least 4.5-feet thick.

Long-term monitoring of FUSRAP-related materials in capped areas, surveillance and maintenance will be performed by the federal government. The federal government will ensure that land-use controls are in place to prevent future access to and disturbance of the contained FUSRAP-related materials.

The selected remedy also required excavation and off-site disposal of FUSRAP-related material that exceeds the cleanup criteria in the Seaway northside and southside areas, which are located outside the landfill boundaries.

In 2015, the Buffalo District initiated excavation and off-site disposal of FUSRAP-related materials located beyond the landfill leachate containment system on Seaway northside. This was completed in fiscal year 2016 with a total of 1,121 cubic yards of material excavated and shipped off-site for disposal.

As of December 2025, construction of the engineered cap is complete in areas A, B and C. Final seeding of areas A, B and C is scheduled for the spring of 2026.

Details of the five-year review process are available on the Buffalo District website at: https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/Display/Article/3612995/seaway-site/.

The final five-year review report is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2027.

To add your name and address to the mailing list, or for further information on the five-year review process, visit the website, email fusrap@usace.army.mil or call 800-833-6390, option 4.