A class action lawsuit was filed week against Tonawanda Coke along with individual complaints alleging that the plant’s benzene emissions caused their clients’ cancer.
The complaints charge that Tonawanda Coke’s emissions of benzene — a toxic chemical found in coke oven gas — caused cancer to nearby residents. A known human carcinogen, benzene has been linked to leukemia, and residents who live near the River Road plant have claimed there are higher-than-normal rates of leukemia in the area.
Tonawanda Coke and its owner, J.D. Crane, have come under intense fire lately, both from the government and the public. The EPA recently publicized test results showing the company underreported its benzene emissions.
In an exclusive interview with the Tonawanda News last fall, Crane, who has declined to speak with the media since, said Tonawanda Coke emits less than 10 tons of benzene. The EPA, however, said last week the plant produces 90.8 tons of benzene emissions, nearly 10 times the legally allowable limit. EPA officials plan to further examine allegations that leaks caused the discrepancy in readings.
In addition to governmental scrutiny, Tonawanda Coke has faced a growing backlash from residents with the formation of a new community group called Citizens United for Justice, took legal action of its own. The group has held meetings at local schools, posting event listings on Facebook to garner support for its cause. Attendees are asked to complete health questionnaires, one would hope this information is not being taken to simply add parties to an existing lawsuit but also to help the health of local residents.
The group is receiving legal support from Gonzalez, Zola, Wegman & Associates, a California firm Citizens United members say is volunteering its services. Once the health surveys are complete, they will be sent to the law firm, whose health experts will analyze and review the data to determine how much of a link exists between Tonawanda Coke and residents’ illness.
Bruce Steiner, the president of the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute, of which Tonawanda Coke is a member and for which Crane serves on the Board of Directors, declined to comment on the action taken against Tonawanda Coke this year.
A federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment charging Tonawanda Coke with allowing the release of toxic gases, and the plant’s environmental control manager was charged with obstruction of justice.