Eighteenmile Creek runs about 15 miles north through Niagara County, New York, before emptying into Lake Ontario. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in March 2012 after finding polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in creek sediments and fish. The site is mid-cleanup, with active construction and design work happening across multiple areas at once.
The main contaminants are PCBs and lead, though mercury, arsenic, chromium (VI), cobalt, manganese, and iron also appear in soil and sediment. PCBs show up in soil, sediment, and fish tissue throughout the creek corridor and downstream areas. Specific forms include Aroclor 1248, Aroclor 1254, and Aroclor 1260. Lead is widespread, appearing in soil near the former Flintkote Plant and at residential properties on Mill Street. The New York State Department of Health issued an "eat none" advisory for fish caught in the creek. Lead can harm the nervous system. Groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water, though physical cleanup is not yet complete across the whole site.
EPA organized the cleanup into five operable units. Operable Unit 1 (OU1) covers the Water Street area and former Flintkote Plant building. Five families were permanently relocated and their homes, along with the plant building, were demolished by 2015. Construction activities resumed in Summer 2024. Operable Unit 2 (OU2) targets the creek corridor, which holds the highest PCB levels, and involves bank-to-bank sediment excavation plus soil removal or capping at nearby properties. Remedial action there began in June 2022. Operable Unit 3 (OU3) covers a 5.3-mile stretch downstream and holds about 21 percent of the total PCB mass in the creek. Its remedy calls for sediment and floodplain soil removal with disposal at an off-site landfill, and remedial design is now underway as of March 2026. Operable Unit 4 (OU4) addresses lead-contaminated soils at residential properties near the former plant. Cleanup of 24 properties is underway and expected to finish by end of 2026, with 42 more properties to follow. Operable Unit 5 (OU5) covers the remaining creek and floodplain down to Lake Ontario and is still in the remedial investigation phase. A site-wide five-year review is estimated between February and April 2028.
One business is currently operating on-site, employing 20 people and generating about $3,340,000 in annual sales. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program supports efforts to return the site to productive use.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program. Site documents are available for review at the Lockport Public Library, the Newfane Public Library, or EPA's Superfund Records Center in New York City. Two EPA contacts are available for questions: a Community Involvement Coordinator and two Remedial Project Managers.
