Feb 25
2014
Gov. Cuomo’s announcement of a $55 million state investment to attract IBM to downtown Buffalo is pricey, but less so than the two previous Buffalo Billion projects that have been rolled out, Investigative Post editor tells WGRZ.
Feb 19
2014
West Side residents have long complained about trucks crossing the Peace Bridge because of diesel fumes that have been linked to respiratory illnesses. They now have another reason to be uncomfortable with truck traffic: rigs carrying high-level radioactive cargo. Federal authorities in May gave approval for a company to truck spent nuclear fuel over the Peace Bridge. They say there haven’t been any leaks or other problems involving similar shipments elsewhere. But some experts and activists are concerned the route approval is a prelude to shipping highly radioactive liquid waste. This would be unprecedented for North America, let alone the Peace[...]
Feb 12
2014
RINO is a four-letter word to Carl Paladino. It’s short for “Republican In Name Only.” Paladino dismisses many mainstream Republicans as RINOs for failing to subscribe to his Tea Party-flavored politics, committing the sin of compromising with Democrats or contributing to their campaigns. Republicans donating to Democrats is supposedly so repugnant to Paladino that he organized a protest outside a fundraiser Dec. 16 that was co-hosted by GOP heavy hitters to benefit Congressman Brian Higgins. Paladino held a sign for part of the demonstration that read: “No Funding For Dems.” The fundraiser put one of its organizers, Anthony Gioia, who has[...]
Feb 4
2014
Contrary to claims by Tonawanda Coke, at least one person was hurt in an explosion that rocked the plant and nearby homes on Friday, sources have told Investigative Post. In addition, records obtained by Investigative Post revealed that Tonawanda Coke in at least one instance told emergency responders who showed up at the plant that they had not felt the explosion that had been reported by neighbors. “At this time, Tonawanda Coke says normal operations,” a first responder said in radio communication. “They did not feel anything. They’ve got somebody coming up to talk to me.” The state Department of[...]
Feb 1
2014
An explosion and fire rocked Tonawanda Coke and an adjoining neighborhood Friday. Company officials characterized the blast as minor, but state environmental officials say otherwise. A report from iPost’s Dan Telvock and WGRZ.
Jan 30
2014
The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority is finally launching a recycling program that should service all 30 of its developments by the end of this year. This decision comes almost 10 months after Investigative Post reported that the authority was ignoring a longstanding city ordinance that requires residents of multi-family residences to recycle. The authority is the city’s biggest landlord with 4,748 apartments that are home to 7,642 low-income families and senior citizens. “It is something that we looked as the responsible thing to do and we want to do the right thing,” said Modesto Candelario, the authority’s assistant executive director.[...]
Jan 16
2014
State environmental officials have been mum for two months about their plans for a second round of air monitoring at the Peace Bridge after they misrepresented the flawed first round of testing. In the face of that silence, community activists and a key lawmaker who represents the neighborhood near the Peace Bridge agree that the Department of Environmental Conservation needs to take a different approach. “There’s a lot of distrust here,” said Assemblyman Sean Ryan. “We need to bridge the distrust. I think we bridge it by having more honest and open communication and less gamesmanship.” The DEC should let[...]
Dec 17
2013
State officials proclaimed in March that their plan to reconfigure roads leading to and from the American side of the Peace Bridge would improve air quality in adjoining neighborhoods where residents in one-third of the households suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. “We are moving the traffic further away from the neighborhood where the residents are and where the people in the park are and believe just instinctively that that is going to improve air quality,” Sam Hoyt, regional president of Empire State Development and vice chairman of the Peace Bridge Authority, said when the project was announced. “The[...]