TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The Tonawanda Coke Soil Study Team hosted a community meeting Thursday night to update people on the progress of their work.
The University at Buffalo study found that a large portion of the area tested, which includes Grand Island, is fine.
Researchers did find pollutants in the soil in parts of the City and Town of Tonawanda, which are above federal Environmental Protection Agency standards but below state Department of Environmental Conservation requirements.
They said nothing that warrants immediate action.
The study should be completed in full in four to five months.
The meeting was held in the auditorium of Riverview Elementary School.
The study is led by a group of scientists from University of Buffalo and SUNY Fredonia. They are investigating how pollution from the Tonawanda Coke Corp. plant has impacted the soil of the surrounding community.
The study began when a federal judge when the company was convicted of violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The company is funding the study.