Bethlehem Steel was once a global leader in steel production and shipbuilding, with plants across the United States. Buffalo, New York formerly housed one such facility that is now an inactive hazardous waste site, making the list of state Superfund sites for its serious impact on public health and the environment. This past week, I had the opportunity to visit this retired industrial pant and learn about the cleanup efforts underway. Although the general public is prohibited from accessing site during remediation, our senior-level engineering course was permitted to tour the site under the supervision of two guides. The photos herein show what a Superfund site really looks like, and spoiler alert, it isn’t the futuristic radioactive wasteland depicted by countless science fiction movies.
Wilkeson Pointe on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor was the first stop. It is a Brownfield site, indicating less severe contamination than a Superfund site and higher potential for redevelopment. Remediation efforts here aim to repair Lake Erie’s natural shoreline and restore wildlife. But, restoration in progress at the site is inconspicuous. Behind the facade, several systems are in place to aid the recovery of the natural environment. Bioswales and rain gardens hidden by tall, unmown grasses absorb urban runoff during rainstorms to slow the flow of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals into the Great Lake.
Kinetic wind sculptures add to the aesthetic value of the miniature park, featuring a playground and winding path along the shore. Engineers and city planners hoped to draw people to this dog-friendly location by adding a kayak launch, spots for fishing, biking, walking, and a small eatery that opens during the summer. Most recently, musical performances took place in the green nearshore area.
Next was Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. Sounds of crashing waves and harsh wind gusts filled the air. Some areas of the 140-acre site are so barren they could pass for a Nevada-of-the-East. Other spots, like the old acid tar pits, are oases for vibrant butterflies, flowers, and plants. A variety of resilient fish species traverse the once-toxic sediment bordering Smokes Creek, which runs through the site. Deer, fox, and eagles have also been spotted living off the land, according to the tour guides.
Wind turbines on the shoreline stand over 400 feet tall, making them the largest manufactured in the United States. Elevators are needed in the main shafts allow mechanics access to the blades. Each turbine could provide up to 57,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year by harnessing abundant energy from the cold lake breeze. A total of 16,000 homes could be powered by the Steel Winds, based on the design of the wind farm.
Bethlehem Steel is an ecological haven compared to its former condition. While there is renewed environmental value in this remediated Lake Erie corridor, hazardous waste cleanup has required significant financial investment, time, and effort since it began in 2005. A New York Times article printed in 1982 details the start of the Pennsylvania-based company’s dissolution. The shut-down took a toll on local economy as thousands of workers reliant upon the steel mill for employment were slowly laid off. However painful, these changes allowed people to shift into less hazardous alternative careers as bankers, students, educators, and doctors. Lands surrounding shuttered steel mills underwent environmental revival. Wildlife is now starting to return to the waterfront of what was considered a “dead lake” in the 1960’s.
Certain portions of the site have met cleanup goals set by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), but restoration efforts in other areas of the site continue. Treatment of the remaining contaminated portions of the Superfund site will cost an estimated $69 million. One of the first companies to acquire land at the site was multinational automotive and clean energy company, Tesla. Though politicians initially jumped at the prospect of industrial revival, the proposed Solar City has not been as productive in terms of churning out solar panels or offering new career paths as state representatives had hoped. Still, businesses are slowly moving back into the Union Ship Canal area, and local bikers couldn’t be more excited about the views that await.
At the close of the tour, we walked through a seagull nesting location. The gracious gulls declined to peck at us as we navigated through copious amounts of bird excrement. Few people are permitted to, or desire to, visit delisted Superfund sites. But if ever given the chance, I would suggest that you do. The experience was truly eye-opening.
This article was edited in April 2024 to add more details about each site.
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