Lake Ontario Ordnance Works

Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW), a large tract of land (approximately 7,500 acres) near Youngstown, New York, procurred in 1941 by the U. S. Federal Government, initially for use in the production of TNT during World War II. After about 1 year the production of TNT ceased. Later, a portion of this property was used between 1944-1946 as a storage area by the Chemical Warfare Service. Additionally, starting in February 1944, the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) used another section of this parcel for the storage of radioactive sludges. This waste was generated by the Linde Air Products "Ceramics Plant" located in Tonawanda, New York as a byproduct of uranium ore refining.