TONAWANDA, N.Y. — An agreement has been reached that will see New York State recover some $4 million it spent to cover cleanup costs at the former Tonawanda Forge site.
The joint announcement was made Tuesday by the offices of the New York State Attorney General and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
“Too many of New York’s communities still struggle with pollution resulting from a legacy of environmental abuse, neglect, and injustice,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Through our action here, we are recouping $4 million, which will be essential to eliminating a long-standing site of contamination in the heart of the greater Buffalo community. My office is committed to holding polluters accountable, and protecting the health and safety of all New Yorkers, as well as our state’s environment.”
General Motors (GM) made axels, tie-rods and other car parts at the approximately 33-acre site in the 1950s. In 1994, GM sold the site to American Axel which operated there until 2008 producing similar parts and by-products.
“This agreement ensures the company responsible for contaminating the Tonawanda Forge site will pay their share of the cleanup costs,” said DEC Commissioner Seggos. “I thank Governor Cuomo for his sustained commitment to ensuring the clean-up of former industrial sites like this one, and the Attorney General, her team, and my staff who worked to recoup New York state's costs to remediate the former Tonawanda Forge site. Working together, we are sending a strong message to polluters that they will be held to account for the damage they cause to the environment and our communities.”
