Equipment Prepped for Lead Clean-up in Gorge at Ithaca Falls

ITHACA — Contractors started placing equipment near the entrance to the gorge at Ithaca Falls this morning in preparation for the lead clean-up operation scheduled to begin in the gorge on May 18, according to Mike Basile, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Involvement Coordinator for the project.

Personnel working under EPA supervision will be removing lead and arsenic-contaminated soil that had migrated from the former Ithaca Gun Factory site, into the gorge cliff face and fallen into the gorge. The factory site is just above the gorge, which is also known as the Fall Creek Natural Area.

A 20-cubic yard waste container, lined with plastic, is in place May 17 at the Ithaca Falls Natural Area where a contractor working under EPA supervision will remove lead and arsenic-contaminated material from the gorge near Ithaca Falls.

At about 9 a.m., about a half-dozen personnel from Environmental Restoration LLC were seen at working at the entrance, which is near the intersection of East Falls Street and Lake Street. Environmental Restoration is a company that remediates hazardous waste sites.

Two dumpsters — one of which was lined with plastic — had been placed at the entrance, along with a shipping container.

A contractor closes a storage container near a second dumpster in the City of Ithaca-owned parking area near the Ithaca Falls Natural Area on May 17.

Simon Wheeler contributed to this story.