FUSRAP Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS), Lewiston, NY

Overview

HGL was contracted by the USACE, Buffalo District to provide environmental remediation support services at the NFSS located on the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works. Beginning in 1944, this FUSRAP site was used by the Manhattan Engineer District for storing radioactive residues and wastes from uranium ore processing conducted during the development of the atomic bomb. Historical activities at the site have resulted in radiological and chemical contamination in soil and groundwater.  Services included environmental and hydrogeological assessment, data management, analysis and visualization, advanced GIS development and application, groundwater flow and solute transport modeling, remedial alternative analyses, long-term monitoring support, risk communication, and a potentially responsible party (PRP) investigation.

Project Highlights
Reviewed historical documents to compile site-specific and regional hydrogeological and environmental data.
Developed a comprehensive database that included analytical, geological, and hydraulic properties as well as water-level elevation data.
Developed and calibrated a regional 3-D groundwater flow and solute transport model to gain insight into the regional and local groundwater flow conditions and the impact of climatic changes and waste management strategies on groundwater flow conditions.

  • Used the model to predict the transport of radionuclides from the Interim Waste Containment Structure (IWCS), a capped containment structure that contains high-activity radium residues.
  • Utilized the model to assess the effectiveness of the remedial alternatives, including a range of enhanced containment and waste removal options evaluated as part of a Feasibility Study.
  • Integrated a GIS/database and advanced numerical model with 3-D animation to characterize a complex hydrogeological setting and to predict radiological transport.
  • Conducted simulations of the transport of radiological contaminants from the IWCS up to 10,000 years in the future.
Assisted USACE in optimizing its groundwater long-term monitoring program.
Provided engineering recommendations to mitigate waste transport and extend the operating lifespan of the waste containment.