SEP A United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA Successfully Completes Response Work at Tonawanda Coke as NYDEC Takes Over Community Update April 2020 Public Participation is essential to the success of EPA's community involvement program. If you have any questions, please contact: Michael Basile EPA Public Affairs Specialist Western NY Public Information Office 186 Exchange Street Buffalo, New York 14204 (716)551-4410 basile.michael@epa.gov STATUS OF ACTIVITIES The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) successfully completed response work at the Tonawanda Coke Corporation (TCC) property on March 20, 2020 relinquishing the lead responsibility back to the NYSDEC for management of future cleanup at the site under the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) and the State Superfund program. EPA Cleanup Actions EPA has been performing a time-critical removal action at the TCC Site since October 2018 when TCC commenced shutdown of its coke manufacturing facility at the River Road, Town of Tonawanda, New York location. On October 12, 2018 NYDEC requested that EPA perform response work at the TCC Site to protect the surrounding community. For nearly fourteen months, EPA has performed emergency response activities at TCC to secure the coke plant, ensure continued safety or facility systems, and perform necessary removal activities in order to address releases of hazardous substances. The sale of the TCC property was ordered by U.S. Bankruptcy Court in September 2019. The bankruptcy court accepted a proposal from Ontario Specialty Construction and Honeywell International, Inc. for the sale of the TCC property to Riverview and Technology Campus, Inc. (RITC) for the cleanup and redevelopment of the property as a data center. Future Activities In mid- February 2020 the NYSDEC approved RITC's BCP application for the cleanup and redevelopment of the main plant area. In addition, a new consent order between Honeywell and EPA was executed to address those remaining portions of the TCC Site that had not been admitted into the BCP, referred to as Site 108 - TCC property to the west of River Road across from the main plant. In the coming months EPA intends to continue to provide oversight of the ongoing work being performed by Honeywell which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2020. Apart from providing oversight of this work, EPA has discontinued all other activities at the site but are always available to consult with the NYSDEC. https://www.epa.gov/nv/tonawanda-coke-corporation-tcc-site In May 2017, EPA established a task force to restore the Superfund program to its rightful place at the center of the Agency's core mission to protect health and the environment. epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force ------- |