Latest

Aug 8

2014

Toxic algae blooms not in eastern Lake Erie

Published by

The toxic algae blooms in western Lake Erie that led to a shut down of the public water supply in Toledo, Ohio for a weekend have not reached the Buffalo area. That’s according to the Erie County Health Department, which this week tested a dozen spots, including four samples at two public water intakes. The health department says that microcystin, the toxin released from some algae blooms, was not detected at any of the 12 spots. Sites tested were: Sturgeon Point intakes (2), Buffalo intakes (2), Hamburg Beach, Woodlawn Beach, Evans (Lake Erie Beach, Evans Town Park, Bennett Beach, Wendt Beach), Brant[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Aug 7

2014

DEC’s dustup with Battaglia Demolition

Published by

The decade-long conflict between Peabody Street residents and an adjacent construction and demolition recycling facility continues despite recent enforcement actions by state environmental regulators. The Department of Environmental Conservation on May 1 cited Battaglia Demolition, owned by Peter Battaglia, with five notice of violations. Two of the alleged violations deal with failing to control dust that the DEC say drifts off the property from his concrete crusher as well as from the 80 to 200 trucks that rumble down Peabody Street most days of the week to get to and from his facility, located a mile southeast of downtown in[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jul 31

2014

Tonawanda Coke faces $161,100 in fines

Published by

Tonawanda Coke faces $161,100 in fines for “disturbing” violations investigators said they discovered after a Jan. 31 explosion at the plant that rattled homes and businesses up to a mile away. In total, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the plant and Kirchner LLC, which supplies temporary workers, with 17 serious violations, including two repeat ones, plus three minor infractions. Some of the alleged violations put employees at risk of falls, amputations and crushing injuries, according to the agency’s press release. OSHA defines a serious violation as “when death or serious physical harm could result from hazards[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jul 30

2014

Cheektowaga pledges action on Scajaquada

Published by

There is progress to report on Scajaquada Creek. The creek has been badly polluted by the dumping of more than 500 million gallons a year of sewage and untreated stormwater runoff by Buffalo and Cheektowaga. As a result, the Scajaquada is plagued by high bacteria levels , botulism that kills birds and sludge up to five feet deep in parts of the creek bed. Town of Cheektowaga officials, who to this point have dodged questions since our initial report two weeks ago, acknowledged to Dan Telvock of Investigative Post that the dumping is a serious problem that they need to address.[...]

Posted 10 years ago
Investigative Post

Get our newsletters delivered to your inbox * indicates required

Newsletters *