'No definitive answer': Questions remain as crews remove booms from Buffalo River
Michael O'Reilly has a robust background in investigative journalism, with over a decade of experience covering government affairs in Buffalo. He received his degree from Cornell University and has unearthed numerous stories of corruption and negligence at local and state levels through his work with various local outlets. His dedication to transparency drives his reporting.
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Neighbors near the Buffalo River are raising questions about a mysterious oily, rainbow-colored sheen after crews removed booms that had been placed in the water in early October. One kayaker said she may have spotted signs of the problem months ago.Jaime Hodge said she and her family were kayaking on the Buffalo River over Memorial Day weekend when they came around a bend near the foot of Pomona Place and noticed a substance in the water, along with a strong odor."The smell of gas is horrible," Hodge said in video taken during the kayaking trip. Hodge said a friend reported what they saw to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, and DEC trucks arrived on Bailey Avenue shortly afterward. She said she never heard what investigators determined.She thinks it's possible that the spill she saw is the one that has caused new oil sheens along the Buffalo River this fall."Since this was May and we're now, you know, two days away from November, I would think in that time they could