The Chairman of the Erie County Legislature and the City of Tonawanda mayor held a private meeting Thursday night with approximately 25 city residents at Warren's Restaurant to discuss the radiation recently found in Rattlesnake, a tributary of Two Mile Creek.

Chairman Chuck Swanick opened the banquet-room doors to residents who live on Brookside Terrace or Duffy Drive. Broadcast reporters, print reporters and residents not living on those two streets were turned away.

"I can't win no matter what I do," Mr. Swanick said.

The county lawmaker said he wanted to inform residents about the recent uranium findings in the milelong creek and to explain the Army Corps of Engineer's plan to determine how extensive the problem is.

The decision to close the meeting was made to prevent environmentalist groups from over exciting residents who live closest to the creek, Mr. Swanick said. The issue became public last week, but the Corps had informed local politicians approximately four weeks ago.

A group of about 10 people who were not permitted in the meeting spoke with reporters in the restaurant lobby .

Don Finch, a member the environmentalist group For A Clean Tonawanda Site (FACTS), also was turned away at the door.

"I wonder what they have to hide," he said. "This is a perfect example of, 'don't tell the whole story, don't tell the truth.' "

Bill Watson of 771 Fletcher St. in the city said he was livid that he was not allowed to attend the meeting. Mr. Watson, who lived on Duffy Drive for 20 years, said he lives closer to the creek than people who were allowed in the meeting.

However, Mr. Watson is referring to Two Mile Creek.

The Two Mile Creek tributary runs from the Town and City of Tonawanda to the Niagara River. It winds through several acres of commercial property and along many residential yards.

Mr. Watson also said he is angry that he was not notified earlier that radiation had been found.

During a phone conversation this morning, Mr. Swanick said, "When ever an issue like this comes up there are a couple of issues to be concerned with public health is first and then you have property values and some other issues."

Mr. Swanick said the Corps will conduct some tests and will determine whether a cleanup is necessary. A report explaining the Corps findings should be released in two to four weeks, he said.

Uranium was uncovered about 18 inches below the creek.

According to the Corps, the uranium contamination could date back to the 1940s. At that time, a nearby section of land at 4545 River Road, known as the Ashland 11 site, was used to store waste left from the construction of the atomic bomb.

The uranium waste generated at the Linde site in the Town of Tonawanda as part of the Manhattan Project.

The Corps reached an agreement with local public officials earlier this month to spend at least $28 million cleaning up the Linde site.

During one of the Corps' routine soil and water purity tests, uranium was discovered in the creek.

The Corps periodically conducts field tests at the Ashland II site and surrounding areas to verify the recent radiation cleanup at the site.

Mr. Swanick said it is uncertain whether contaminants from the Ashland II site are the cause or if the radiation is caused by another chemical in the ground.

Regardless, he said the Corps has informed him that the cleanup, if necessary, would be funded by the federal government. Under federal law, cleanup of radiation related to the manufacture of the atomic bomb must be federally funded.

"The Corps said they would not split hairs over this," Mr. Swanick