NIAGARA FALLS, NY- In May the contractor for this construction project at Naigara Falls State Park made a surprising discovery.  The soil contained low levels of radioactivity, petroleum, and benzopyrene a cancer causing chemical in the soil...all in the center of one of the busiest tourist attractions in the world .  

"This time of the year when you’re  getting on average between 25 and 35 thousand people a day cruising through the state parks- Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds- it's alarming," said Patrick Proctor.

Patrick Proctor owns Rainbow Air and heads the city's Tourism Advisory Board. He worries the news could hurt tourism.

"At this point you think to yourself if it was an issue I'm pretty sure they 'd steer us in a different direction, But with that large amount of volume of people coming through it might be alarming to them," said Proctor.

"These elements, particularly in Western New York, there was a lot of it generated through industries," said Tom DeSantos.

Niagara Falls City Planner Tom DeSantos says it's nto unusually to find  these remnants in the ground throughout Western New York. But he says for the most part they don' pose a public health threat.

"I think it's not alarming. The quantity and the level of radioactivity is extremely low and there's no meaningful threat or hazard to people passing by. You can pick this stuff up with your hand, it's not immediately dangerous.  Again, it just exceeds the threshold

that's been set for that kind of material," said DeSantos. 

That being said DeSantos says does have to be disposed of in accordance wth a DEC regulations. Official say the dirt is being collected

and taken to an authorized site. 

"The community’s health and well-being is being protected at all times. I think the general message is you don't need to be alarmed over this kind of thing," said DeSantos.