Fall Creek Gorge, Near Student Housing, Tests Positive For Lead Contamination

Soil in Fall Creek Gorge by Ithaca Falls, less than two blocks away from the Gun Hill apartments where many Cornell students live, tested positive for lead contamination this past June, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA tested different locations along the base of the gorge and found that the samples contained lead in excess 400 parts per million, the maximum allowable level. The City of Ithaca announced on June 16 that it will collaborate with local regulatory agencies to rectify the situation. The site of contamination was once the location of the Ithaca Gun Factory, which closed its doors in 1986, according to the EPA. Due to the factory’s proximity to Fall Creek, the EPA tested for metals that could have originated from the gun factory.