State kills plan for swimming at Gallagher Beach

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It turns out it’s not safe to go in the water at Gallagher Beach.

State officials announced Wednesday they have shelved plans to open the beach along Route 5 in South Buffalo for swimming. The decision marks a retreat from plans announced two years ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins and Mayor Byron Brown, who were excited at the prospect of a beach within the city limits.

What’s changed?

Investigative Post has been reporting on water pollution and and soil contamination at the beach. State officials initially refused to even commit to testing to determine if there were problems, but relented in the face of our coverage. Subsequent testing revealed high bacteria counts that would have closed the beach two-thirds of the time during the swimming season.