What Is Happening and Why It Matters to Grand Island

If you live on Grand Island, you may have heard something about radiation testing coming to the island. This is not a rumor. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are conducting a multi-phase radiological survey of Erie and Niagara counties, and Grand Island is now part of that survey.

The Grand Island Town Board voted unanimously on August 4th, 2026 to allow the EPA and DEC to conduct radiological assessments at town-owned and town-controlled properties. Veterans Park on Bedell Road was specifically identified during an earlier aerial survey as a location of interest requiring ground-level testing. Between 15 and 20 private properties on the island have also been flagged for follow-up screening, with Town Supervisor Peter Marston noting that three of those had already been walked and cleared as non-issues at the time of the board meeting.

This is part of a much larger story that has been unfolding across Western New York since late 2023, rooted in decisions made more than 80 years ago during World War II.

The Manhattan Project Left Something Behind

Western New York was a hub for the manufacturing of atomic weapon components during World War II. Over 40 local companies contributed to the Manhattan Project, the secret government program that developed the nation's first atomic bombs. Some of those companies processed raw uranium ore under conditions that would be considered dangerous by today's standards.

After the war, radioactive waste materials from those operations were used in ways that were common at the time but are alarming in hindsight: as fill material, as a base for roads, driveways, parking lots, and in some cases underneath homes. That material has been sitting in the ground in Niagara and Erie counties ever since, largely unknown to the families who built lives on top of it.

The 100-acre Seaway Industrial Park along River Road in Tonawanda, near the Grand Island Bridge, is among the sites identified in historical records as connected to this legacy. The DEC has noted that waste from metallurgical companies in the Niagara area is believed to be the likely source of contamination found so far.

What Has Been Found So Far

The first phase of the radiological survey took place in late 2023 and summer 2024, using a single-engine low-flying plane called the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) system, which flew a grid pattern over Erie and Niagara counties at about 500 feet above ground level. That phase identified a number of radiological anomalies but no areas of immediate concern.

A second phase in summer 2025 used an EPA truck equipped with sensors and surveyed about 1,000 miles of the target area. That work led investigators to specific neighborhoods in the Town of Niagara. Ground-level screenings followed, and by July 2026, elevated radiation had been detected in the yards of at least 120 homes in western Niagara County.

Four families have been relocated by the EPA because outdoor radiation levels at their properties ranged from 10 to 100 times normal background levels. Testing inside homes followed after News 4 Investigates found elevated radiation inside two of those properties.

What Grand Island Residents Need to Know Right Now

Veterans Park on Bedell Road was identified during the aerial survey as a point of interest. DEC Engineering Geologist Patrick Concannon was careful to put that in context during the August 4th town board meeting: "Basically, we saw one point on a map in Veterans Park. It doesn't indicate that there's a problem. It doesn't indicate that there's something along the lines of some of the concerns we've been addressing elsewhere. It's simply a location of interest that we'd like to access and try to understand better, more specifically, with better detail, what it is we may or may not be seeing."

Town Supervisor Peter Marston echoed that measured tone, noting that Grand Island has never been an industrial community and that he does not anticipate significant findings. He added that the DEC also discussed privately owned properties on the list at the board meeting, though he was not given their specific locations.

One Grand Island resident, Mary Skibinski, explained why she signed up to have her property tested anyway: "We figured no harm in getting the property tested. In case of any health issues, it gets reported to help them and help others."

Parents in particular have raised concerns about Veterans Park because of its heavy use by children for soccer, baseball, softball, and summer camps. One parent who spoke to WBEN said it plainly: "I'm a parent, and a lot of us parents have children who play soccer, baseball, softball all at Veterans Park. We live here in the spring, summer, and fall, so it's upsetting."

The Public Meeting on Monday, August 17th

This is the most important piece of information in this story for Grand Island residents right now. There is a public drop-in informational meeting on Monday, August 17th, 2026 from 4 to 7 PM at the Western New York Welcome Center, 1999 Alvin Road, Grand Island, at Exit 19 off I-190.

The meeting is drop-in format, meaning you do not need to register or make an appointment. You can walk in at any time during those hours, ask questions of EPA and DEC representatives, and sign up to have your property screened. A second meeting for the broader Niagara area will be held Thursday, August 20th from 4 to 7 PM at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, 101 Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls.

If you cannot attend but want to request a property screening, the DEC and EPA have been going door-to-door in Grand Island asking homeowners to sign access agreements. You can also contact the DEC directly for more information.

How the Screening Process Works

The screening itself is non-invasive. EPA and DEC crews use handheld equipment, drone-mounted sensors, and all-terrain vehicle-mounted equipment to measure radiological activity at ground level. The goal of this third phase of the survey is to determine whether any findings are from naturally occurring sources or from man-made contamination linked to the wartime industrial activity.

If elevated levels are found at a property, the agencies will notify the homeowner and determine next steps. So far, preliminary data from the broader survey has shown that the majority of screened properties do not require further action.

What You Can Do

If you are a Grand Island homeowner, you have the right to request a free radiological screening of your property. The most direct way to do that right now is to attend the public meeting on Monday, August 17th at the WNY Welcome Center on Alvin Road. You can also watch for EPA and DEC crews going door-to-door on the island in the coming weeks and sign the access agreement when they knock.

The DEC and EPA have committed to providing ongoing updates as fieldwork progresses. The 716 Spotlight will continue to follow this story as results come in for Grand Island properties.