Help Clean Air Continue Building Power

2023 was a much more active year for our Tonawanda-area work than it has been in recent years, and we are building community power!

Of note - 

1. Our River Road Watchdog team continued to regularly conduct oversight of the clean-up at the former Tonawanda Coke site, and our advocacy spurred the public release of the Preliminary Draft Alternatives Analysis of the brownfield parcel at 3875 River Road. Ordinarily, a draft at this stage is not publicly available, but we argued successfully that the public deserves a chance to begin review as soon as possible due to the complexity of the site and the remaining public concerns.
2. Our Tonawanda Tomorrow Team successfully fought for an extension of the public comment period on the proposed revisions to the Town’s comprehensive zoning code. We submitted comments advocating for, among other things, the addition of an Environmental Justice overlay for residents in industrial-zoned areas, and also solicited an evaluation and comments from Smart Growth America, a national equitable development advocacy thinktank. Over 30 letters were sent, mostly by Town residents, in support of our comments and Smart Growth America’s comments - we now are awaiting the revised version of the draft, which will include an official reply from the Town to our comments. In 2024, our Tonawanda Tomorrow Team looks forward to ensuring that Environmental Justice is codified into the Town’s code, and to continuing our fight to implement the Tonawanda Tomorrow plan.
3. In North Tonawanda, Clean Air continued our in-depth campaign consulting and support role for residents organizing near the former Fortistar facility against it’s use by Digihost Technologies for cryptocurrency mining. We continue to work with EarthJustice to appeal the approval by the NY Public Service Commission of the sale of the facility, and remain in regular contact with residents as the campaign continues. We’ve heard that our letter campaign to Governor Hochul’s office is beginning to move the review of the Title V air permit up in the backlog of permit reviews, and in 2024 we look forward to supporting residents with the public comment period when it opens.

None of this work comes without cost - for our November 27 public meeting where we shared the Preliminary Draft Alternatives Analysis, for example, we spent several hundred dollars just on postage to send out postcards to residents who live in adjacent areas. 

Your support not only ensures that our fight can continue, but also gives us the flexibility to be vocal and bold with our tactics. 

Please make an end of year donation to help us not only continue to build power in the Tonawandas, but also continue to cultivate hope through our wins.