Weitz & Luxenberg is no longer accepting Tonawanda Coke cases

As part of Weitzlux.com’s ongoing commitment to providing the latest information on all pollutants including Benzene in Tonawanda although we are not accepting these cases at this time. We update our pages daily with the latest information and statistics. Please check back frequently for updates. If you have been injured as a result of negligence, feel free to fill out the form on this page.“

Too many people in and around Tonawanda have lost family members and friends benzene levels in the area were up to 75 times higher than the DEC’s recommended guidelines.

On December 18, 2009, a joint raid was conducted at the Tonawanda Coke Plant facility by the U.S. Attorney’s office, the DEC, the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard, where records and environmental samples were collected. One week later, the U.S. Attorney announced they had issued an arrest warrant for the facility’s Manager for Environmental Control for alleged violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act.

The EPA classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. The Agency has determined that long-term inhalation of it can cause blood disorders and leukemia in occupational settings. Women who inhaled high levels of benzene have reported reproductive abnormalities.

The Tonawanda Coke Corporation operates as a merchant producer of foundry coke. There are over 50 air-regulated facilities in the region, yet data submitted by the company in 2006 indicated it was the area’s largest producer of benzene, at over 9,500 lbs. The plant, built in 1915, is on a 188-acre site on the Niagara River, approximately one mile north of Buffalo, NY. The facility has been subject to government environmental investigations, and, in September 2009, the NY Department of Justice filed a complaint on behalf of the EPA for alleged air pollution violations.

Weitz & Luxenberg’s environmental lawyers are no strangers to the fight to seek justice for those affected by harmful chemicals. This year, for example, the firm filed a lawsuit (No. 3:09-cv-54) against the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on behalf of over 300 plaintiffs in Roane County and surrounding areas. That legal action was prompted by a dike breach at the TVA plant, which led to the spill of over a billion gallons of toxic coal fly ash waste.

Tonawanda communities have the right to a clean and safe environment free of pollution. 

see also:

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