Air around Tonawandas getting cleaner

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - State officials have known for years that here's been something in the air over the Tonawandas with the potential to make people sick. Wednesday night, neighbors learned that efforts to clean the air appear to be working.

Industry drives the Tonawandas, but some of these same businesses that provide jobs have also created a major health hazard with chemicals polluting the air. Some neighbors blame those businesses for making them sick.

Tonawanda City Councilman Bill Poole said, "In my own ward, a lot of people are concerned about the high cancer rate, about the high rate of respiratory illnesses."

Much of the blame is directed at Tonawanda Coke, which has faced charges of violating hazardous waste laws and the Clean Air Act. As recently as 2009, toxic benzene levels outside the plant were reportedly 75-times higher than state and federal guidelines. State officials who put the pressure on to clean things up came back to a senior center Wednesday night and said the air is cleaner.

Tom Gentile of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation said, "The measurements, we've seen reductions across the board."

According to the Gentile, benzene concentration in the air fell 86 percent at an industrial measuring station and 68 percent at a residential station during three years of measurements. Gentile credits his agency's efforts to put pressure on Tonawanda Coke to comply with environmental laws.

The DEC report credits changes to the coke oven gas flares, better handling of the coke oven gas, and better leak detection, helping to drive those numbers down. There's also been a grassroots movement known as the Clean Air Coalition.

Erin Heaney of the Clean Air Coalition spaid, "We pushed for a cleanup at Tonawanda Coke and they've been pushing for enforcement action at a number of other facilities. Tonight, if we hear the benzene levels have dropped, I think that's a significant victory for the community."

Tonawanda Coke and its environmental manager have pleaded not guilty to criminal violations of the federal Clean Air Act.