Categories for Featured

Feb 4

2014

Tonawanda Coke claims disputed

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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[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jan 30

2014

Recycling comes to Buffalo public housing

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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.[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jan 28

2014

NRG Huntley plant belching red ink

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NRG’s coal plant in the Town of Tonawanda is losing an average of $1 million a year and is at risk of closing, according to a new report. The report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis provides a warning to Huntley employees, community residents, the Ken-Ton school district and elected leaders: prepare now for the plant’s closing. The warning is based on the financial stress that such a closure would create for the community: 70 lost jobs and $16 million less tax revenue, half of which goes to the Ken-Ton school system. The Buffalo News reports that town officials said the analysis uses[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jan 16

2014

Distrust in the air at Peace Bridge

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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[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jan 7

2014

Gallagher Beach exposé voted top story

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Readers voted Dan Telvock’s story on potentially contaminated water at a proposed state beach as Investigative Post’s story of the year. The story, which aired Oct. 3 on WGRZ and published in Artvoice and on InvestigativePost.org, garnered 37 percent of votes in an online poll. Telvock reported that the beach, off Route 5 in South Buffalo, is adjacent to two Superfund sites and that an Erie County Health Department consultant had concluded that opening the beach for swimming was “probably impractical from a public health standpoint.” State officials responded to the report by first refusing to commit to testing the water[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Dec 30

2013

Our top stories of the year

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This is the time of year when news organizations look back at the biggest stories of the past 12 months, and while I hate to follow any pack, such a review is in order for our fledgling organization. Dan Telvock and I produced some 55 stories, 75 blog posts and a dozen in-depth interviews in 2013. That body of work was read, viewed and listened to by a collective audience that approached 6 million through our website and news outlets that distributed our stories, primarily WGRZ TV, and also Artvoice, WBFO FM and The Buffalo News. I’m especially pleased with[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Dec 17

2013

Peace Bridge project won’t improve air quality

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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[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Nov 26

2013

Delaware North’s endless subsidies

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Those upset by the prospect of Delaware North Companies receiving public subsidies to move into new office space are 13 years and some $4 million too late. The company has been receiving public assistance since it moved into its present headquarters at Key Center in 2000. Sales and property tax breaks, some of which continue until its office lease expires in 2015, total an estimated $4.1 million. That’s not counting the $11.6 million low-interest line of credit Delaware North obtained from the city when it moved into its new quarters for a spell, until federal officials objected because the money[...]

Posted 10 years ago
Investigative Post

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