Hooker (Hyde Park)

Overview

The Hyde Park Landfill, also called the Hooker (Hyde Park) site, operated in Niagara Falls, New York from 1953 to 1975. During that time, roughly 80,000 tons of waste, including hazardous materials, were disposed of there. The 15-acre site sits near Bloody Run Creek, which drains toward the Niagara River, and is just a few blocks from a residential neighborhood of about 500 homes. Around 3,000 people work in nearby industrial facilities. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1983.

Contaminants of concern include benzoic acid, chlorendic acid, chlorobenzoic acid, phenol, and tetrachloroethene, all found in groundwater. Benzoic acid, phenol, tetrachloroethene, and toluene were also found as free-phase NAPL (non-aqueous phase liquid), a form of contamination that sits separately from water rather than mixing with it.

Occidental Chemical Corporation carried out the cleanup under EPA oversight starting in 1995. Workers installed extraction wells and drain systems to pull contaminated liquid from the landfill and stop it from spreading. Leachate was treated on site using activated carbon. Twelve bedrock extraction wells prevent contamination from reaching the Niagara River. Contaminated sediment was removed from Bloody Run Creek and the Niagara Gorge Face. The landfill and its perimeter were capped, and quarterly groundwater sampling continues in the surrounding community. Construction finished in 2003. In 2012, restrictive covenants and an environmental easement were placed on the property deed as institutional controls.

Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site is sitewide ready for anticipated reuse, meaning all cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met. EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List in October 2013. Operation and maintenance activities have continued since September 2004, and long-term groundwater treatment and monitoring are expected to continue for about 30 years. The most recent five-year review was completed in March 2021, with the next review estimated between March and May 2026.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly.