News

(Erie, PA – December 15, 2022) At the invitation of the US Attorney’s Office of Western PA, Hold Erie Coke Accountable is reaching out to the community to inform the public of their right to be informed of and participate in the federal lawsuit and possibly be compensated for hardships related to the indictment of Erie Coke. On November 15, 2022, Erie Coke Corporation, along with the plant superintendent, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on among other charges, Violation of the Clean Air Act.  Now, the US Attorney’s Office of Western PA is inviting victims of... Read More

The eight-count Indictment, returned on Nov. 15, 2022, and unsealed today, named Erie Coke Corporation, now permanently out of operation, and Anthony Nearhoof, 41, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the defendants. According to the Indictment presented to the court, from in and around October 2015 and continuing until in and around December 2019, Erie Coke Corporation and Nearhoof tampered with measurements on heating systems which emitted contaminants and pollutants into the air including volatile gases such as benzene, toluene, and xylene… Nearhoof was an operator and “responsible corporate officer” at the plant when hazardous air pollutants were being released and directed other plant... Read More

Cleaning up the former Erie Coke Corp. site is going to be expensive. The cost to remove hazardous wastes and prepare the Erie bayfront property for future use will likely exceed $7 million, especially if extensive below-ground work is required. Only $1 million was supplied by Erie Coke when an Erie County judge gave the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection control over a company bank account after the plant closed under pressure from government agencies and environmentalists in December 2019. “That $1 million is already used up,” said Christopher Guzzetti, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s on-scene coordinator for the cleanup.... Read More

Under the federal Superfund program, EPA is overseeing environmental investigations and cleanup at the Erie Coke Removal site. The site is located at the foot of East Avenue in Erie, Pennsylvania. Some type of industrial manufacturing facility has operated at the Site since approximately 1833. From 1925 to 1987, various owners operated a coke production facility. In 1987, Erie Coke Corporation (Erie Coke) began processing coal into coke on site. In July 2020, EPA determined that the site poses a threat to public health and the environment. EPA began the removal action, or short-term cleanup, in September 2020 after finalizing... Read More

DEP testing in July found contaminants at Erie Coke site were generally within safe levels. With the closure of the Erie Coke plant at the foot of East Avenue, community members concerned about air quality can breathe a little easier. State regulators’ immediate focus has shifted from the plant’s violations of air pollution rules to removing hazardous waste and other materials from the plant, which closed on Dec. 19. Erie Coke’s first major deadline for hazardous waste removal will come in about two months. “If I lived there, I would be much more comfortable now that the plant’s closed,” said... Read More