On August 8, Hold Erie Coke Accountable issued a call to federal and state environmental agencies and the City and County of Erie to form an Erie Coke [Coal] Plant Site Community Working Group to help support the remediation and revitalization of the site.

"HECA calls on all interested parties to disclose information now on the following list of concerns so to inform and invite public input: site ownership; site cleanup; off-site release of contaminants; federal criminal investigation & victim compensation.

"HECA intends to pursue the following items to fill remaining information gaps as it prepares to convene a public forum in fall 2023 on the status and future of the Erie Coke site."

"There is much the public needs to know. Foremost, citizens have the right to weigh-in on how the site is to be cleaned up and put to better use."

Click Here for a 5-page briefing paper on Erie Coke [Coal] Plant site issues.

Sister Pat Lupo, OSB and Dr. Mike Campbell, citizen scientist, are co-chairs of the Hold Erie Coke Accountable group.  Questions should be directed to: plupo@neighborhoodarthouse.org or call 814-490-3108.

Background

In December 2019, Erie Coke [Coal] Plant locked out its employees and shuttered the plant in the face of significant and continuing environmental violations.  Read more here.

Since then the company declared bankruptcy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection have acted to begin cleaning up 190 years of pollution on the site through the federal Superfund Program [Read more here] and the state Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program [Read more here] using taxpayer money.  Read more here.

In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Western PA indicted the Erie Coke Corporation and the former plant superintendent on criminal charges of violating the federal Clean Air Act.  Read more here.

As part of the case, families impacted by the Clean Air Act violations have been asked to provide statements to determine if they are eligible for crime victims' compensation for hardships caused by the environmental crimes.  Read more here.

Visit DEP’s Erie Coke Corporation webpage for the latest information on site cleanup.

For more information, visit the Hold Erie Coke Accountable website or the Hold Erie Coke Accountable Facebook page.

(Photo: Department of Environmental Protection.)

NewsClips - Coke [Coal] Plants:

-- Erie Times: DEP Report: Erie Coke [Coal] Plant Site Seen As ‘Potential Threat To Human Health And The Environment’ And To Lake Erie

-- Erie News Now: State Report Details Pollution At Erie Coke [Coal] Plant Site

-- Post-Gazette: Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Flares Gas After Losing Power During Storm

-- WTAE: Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Flaring Gas After Storms Cause Power Outage

-- PA Capital-Star: After Pittsburgh Coke [Coal] Plant Closed, ER Visits Plummeted

Related Articles - Erie Coke:

-- DEP Begins Hazardous Site Investigation Into Contaminants Left At Former Erie Coke (Coal) Plant In Erie

-- U.S. Dept. Of Justice Indicts Erie Coke (Coal) And Corporate Officer For Violating Federal Clean Air Act Over 4 Years

-- U.S. Attorney: Families Might Be Eligible For Crime Victims’ Compensation For Hardships Caused By The Indictment Of Former Erie Coke (Coal) Plant For Environmental Crimes

-- DEP Denies Erie Coke (Coal) Operating Permit; Files For Injunction To Close Plant Following Numerous Violations

-- DEP Investigates High Concentrations Of Benzene Emitted In The Area Of Erie Coke (Coal) Plant

-- DEP Cites Erie (Coal) Coke For Numerous Unresolved Air Quality Violations

-- DEP Orders Erie (Coal) Coke Corp. To Submit Control Plan To Resolve Online Air Quality Violations

Related Articles:

-- DEP Starts Taxpayer-Funded Hazardous Sites Cleanup Process For American Biodiesel Site In Erie County; Hearing Sept. 21  [PaEN]

[Posted: August 8, 2023]

8/14/2023