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Tonawanda Coke Confirms Waste Tunnel Collapse
Last Friday, The Tonawanda Coke Corporation confirmed allegations by the Clean Air Coalition that the waste heat tunnel at their facility had collapsed, possibly causing toxic emissions to spew into the surrounding community.
The
waste heat tunnel is a concrete tunnel that runs underground the length
of the battery, all 60 coke manufacturing ovens. The main purpose of
the waste heat tunnel is to collect the waste combustible heat from the
ovens. Now that the tunnel has collapsed, gases can't normally flow into
the facility's chimneys, and the company can't draw enough fresh air
into the manufacturing process. Without enough fresh air drawn into the
process, the coking process will possibly create toxic releases into the
ambient air, and into the surrounding community.
One of the chemical's of concern is benzene, a known carcinogen linked to leukemia and other types of illnesses.
We
call on the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Attorney General's
Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
to perform a full investigation of the incident.
We are calling on state and federal agencies to determine the cause of
the tunnel collapse, risks posed to workers, and risks posed to the
surrounding community.
If
you live or work in the area and are noticing dark smoke or odors
coming from the facility, submit a complaint to the New York Department
of Conservation by calling 851-7000 or completing and mailing in this complaint form.
The Clean Air Coalition of WNY will keep you posted as this situation progresses.
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