The Site occupies an 11-acre parcel at 3800 Highland Avenue, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York (SBL: 130.14-2-4). It is adjacent to a residential neighborhood to the north and west, including two schools and several churches within 1,500 feet of the Site. Residential properties are directly to the south and the Site adjoins an industrial area to the east. The parcel consists of several interconnected warehouses and storage structures that have been added on since the original construction in the early 1920s. The facility’s fire suppression system is no longer active, and the facility is easily accessible from the outside. The City of Niagara Falls has condemned at least two of the interconnected buildings due to structural concerns.
An inspection by the Niagara Falls fire department in January 2023 estimated 96,000 gallons of hand sanitizer material in three separate locations at the facility, two of which have been condemned by the City of Niagara Falls. In December 2023, a joint investigation by EPA Criminal Investigation Division (CID), EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center (NEIC) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Division of Law Enforcement confirmed the presence of expired hand sanitizer as well as an attempt to bury some of the material on-site. Sampling at the time determined the hand sanitizer met the criteria for ignitability under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). NYSDEC had attempted to work with the owner to safely dispose of the material. However, efforts by a consultant, hired by the property owner, have been slow and problematic. NYSDEC submitted the referral to EPA on September 5, 2025, to expedite the removal work. On September 10, 2025, an EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) conducted an inspection of the facility and confirmed that the hand sanitizer is still present on-site, the Site is unsecured, and the fire suppression system is inoperable. In addition, the OSC observed a large quantity of industrial rolls of paper and crates of obsolete solar panels being stored throughout the facility, increasing the risk of hazardous materials being released to the atmosphere in the event of a fire.
