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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

State regulators asked city to take wastewater, city solicitor says The city of Erie and Erie Coke Corp. have reached a deal over the plant’s wastewater, the issue that proved fatal for the ailing company in December. The city agreed in late December to accept limited amounts of wastewater from Erie Coke in order to safely remove the remaining water from the plant at the foot of East Avenue, said Ed Betza, the city’s solicitor. The wastewater that is still on site has high concentrations of ammonia, Betza said. The chemical had been the source of many of the plant’s... Read More

It’s official. After years of troubles, violations and fines the Erie Coke Plant began turning employees away unexpectedly Thursday morning, (12/19). According to a manager at the plant, they could not keep up with the mounting fines for air and water pollution citations. This is a developing story on YourErie.com