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Artvoice Weekly Edition » Issue v9n5 (02/03/2010) » Section: Week in Review


Seven Days: The Straight Dope From the Week That Was

The Environmental Protection Agency released a statement today the first sentence of which conveyed a succinct message to the operators of Tonawanda Coke: “You must follow environmental law.” The EPA says that the company is guilty of “polluting the air with uncontrolled releases of ammonia and benzene, failing to conduct required annual maintenance inspections of emission controls and proper maintenance and operations, and failing to complete multiple required reports.” The feds add that the company has mishandled coal tar sludge—Tonawanda Coke’s environmental manager was arrested on related federal charges on December 23—and illegally discharged wastewater into the Niagara River. (Back in October, J.D. Crane, the company’s owner, wrote a column for the Buffalo News in which he claimed, “We have cooperated and continue to cooperate with the regulatory agencies in charge of overseeing our facility. TCC has been and continues to be in full compliance with its lawfully issued DEC air permit.”)

Scorecard: The Week's Winners and Losers

February 2 marked another Groundhog Day in Dunkirk, home of Dave, the morbidly obese marmot famous for his asinine and unscientific winter weather forecast. According to folklore, if Dave comes out and sees his shadow the cowardly rodent will scamper back inside and we’ll all be doomed to another six weeks of winter. If Dave does not see his shadow, as he did this year, an early spring is in order.



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