GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. -- As Tonawanda Coke prepares for its DEC hearing on Wednesday, one of the community groups that's been instrumental in this process heard more concerns from those who live near the plant Monday night.
"We've come such a far way, guys. We've come such a far way. We have to keep on going. And, that's what we're here tonight to talk about," said Jackie James Creedon from Citizen Science Community Resources.
Ahead of Wednesday's DEC hearing about Tonawanda Coke's future, the group Citizen Science Community Resources heard from neighbors concerned about emissions coming from the company.
"This is another Love Canal. Why? Why? Have we not learned?" asked one audience member.
"I want them shut down. We all make our own life choices, and we all do what we do, but we shouldn't be breathing this in," said another audience member.
Creedon has spent 14 years working with her fellow community members gathering scientific data to show how Tonawanda Coke is impacting the environment and the lives of people who live nearby. She says citizen involvement is key, so her group is hosting a letter writing campaign next Thursday to flood the DEC with concerns. She explained how this DEC hearing will be different from last month's federal proceedings.
"The federal case was very specific on the opacity of the smoke coming out of the stacks. This will be much broader, and will include, from what I understand, you know, community complaints. Also, I want to stress that it was because of the community and our photos posted on Facebook that made a difference," says Creedon.
The hearing starts Wednesday morning, but Creedon expects it to last weeks and thinks the DEC won't make a final decision about whether to pull Tonawanda Coke's air permits until the end of the year.