"DEC Wants To Replace Soil in Whole Town"

"MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. -- A massive arsenic cleanup project could affect the entire village of Middleport. The soil in yards, gardens and even a school campus may have to be dug up and carted away.

How big of an area are we talking about? The village is similar in size to about 500 football fields - and that's a lot of dirt. Residents learned what's in store Wednesday night.

The State DEC wants to remove soil from 101 properties in Middleport where previous EPA testing has shown elevated levels of arsenic. The properties include homes, commercial lots, and the Royalton-Hartland Central Schools. ...

The excess arsenic came from the FMC pesticide plant in the village. To get rid of it, workers would have to dig up and truck away the soil and dispose of it in a commercial landfill or a special area on the FMC site."

Rachel Kingston reports for WIVB June 27, 2012.