On Wednesday, October 7th, at 5:30PM, members of the Clean Air Coalition of WNY will rally outside the Tonawanda Coke plant on River Road. In response to the plant owner J.D. Crane’s continued refusal to meet with sick and concerned citizens, along with his unresponsiveness to elected officials, residents from Tonawanda, Kenmore, Grand Island and the City of Buffalo will gather across the street from the plant on River Road in Tonawanda to demonstrate against the high levels of benzene pouring out of Tonawanda Coke.
The parts of Buffalo hardest hit are Black Rock and Riverside.
In June, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation released the results of their year-long air quality study (see below). They found regional benzene levels to be greater than 75 times the EPA standards and identified 70 percent of the region’s benzene was coming from Tonawanda Coke. Since then, no enforcement action has been taken.
The rally will feature remarks from community members who have fallen ill as a result of Tonawanda Coke’s emissions. Erie County legislator Michelle Ianello, Bill Nowak, chief of Staff for State Senator Antoine Thompson and other elected officials are scheduled to speak out. The community group also has the backing of Assemblyman Sam Hoyt and Congressman Brian Higgins.
Crane has been invited to multiple community meetings to discuss potential solutions but has turned down every request. He has also been unresponsive to requests for a benzene reduction plan from elected officials.
The rally is coordinated by the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, a grassroots community group that organizes residents to prevent and reduce pollution in the region. It will be held cross from the Tonawanda Coke plant. 3875 River Road, Tonawanda.
The following is a summary of the 2007-2008 NYS DEC Tonawanda Air Quality Study:
On June 12, 2009 the NYS DEC presented the findings of their year-long air quality study. This document breaks down their conclusions.
On benzene:
- On average, Benzene emissions are 85 times higher than the EPA guideline.
- 70% of the region’s benzene is coming from Tonawanda Coke
- Slide 32 provides a compelling graph comparing the guideline to the amount of benzene in Tonawanda.
Who it affects:
Depending on wind direction, Volatile Organic Compounds, specifically carcinogenic benzene, are carried across Tonawanda Coke’s fence line into neighborhoods in Tonawanda, Grand Island, Kenmore and north Buffalo. Certain neighborhoods in the Town and City of Tonawanda are the most affected by Tonawanda Coke’s benzene emissions.
Current Action being taken by the DEC:
- Continued sampling at Grand Island Boulevard and Brookside Terrace site
- Continue compliance inspections of major area sources
- Use the inspection and monitoring results to make decisions about revising current NY State source category specific regulations
- Use the inspection and monitoring results to make decisions about requiring a greater degree of air pollution control at specific sources using current NY State regulations.
*Note – regulatory action is not included in the DEC’s next steps.
On Tonawanda Coke:
“According to the NYS DEC, JD Crane, owner of Tonawanda Coke, has agreed to control emissions from the “ammonia still” by the Fall of this year; This project will reduce ammonia emissions by approximately 800,000 pounds per year and smaller but significant amounts of benzene, toluene, xylene, and naphthalene.”
Tonawanda Coke has not yet made a public statement affirming the controls will be installed.