Concerns mount over chemicals from Niagara Falls Goodyear plant

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — Nervous neighbors in Niagara Falls are calling out the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Goodyear tire plant after years of cancer-causing pollution rained over their homes unchecked.

People who live near the plant and local advocacy groups aired their concerns during a community meeting on Thursday.

According to its EPA risk score, the Goodyear plant poses the biggest human health risk over any other factory in Niagara County.

The problem stems from the chemical ortho-toluidine, a chemical used in rubber production.

Neighbors showed us pictures of ash and black gunk on their cars and homes. It’s a chemical that has been flagged for causing cancer since 1983.

Just last week, the DEC fined the Goodyear plant $15,000 and ordered it to buy equipment to reduce emissions of ortho-toluidine, but the plant doesn’t have to do it until next year.

Those at the meeting said they want the pollution stopped now, adding the DEC never required accurate testing of the toxin spewing from the plants’ 13 stacks for decades — which was falling on nearly 4,000 residents within two miles of the plant.

“They’re trying to say that they don’t need to stack tests until after the equipment is put in place, which is backwards, because you need to have the stack test to find out exactly what is being emitted into the atmosphere,” said Renae Kimble, the president of Niagara Falls chapter of the NAACP.

“It seems disingenuous to wait until those are all installed before we ever sample the emissions from the plant so that we had some data so that we could really figure out what the exposures are in the neighborhood,” said Kelly Cloyd, a retired engineering geologist from the DEC.

In less than three months, community groups and neighbors have succeeded in making Goodyear install temporary ortho-toluidine reduction equipment by March.

They met with the DEC commissioner and received support from Congressman Tim Kennedy and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Members at the meeting said in 2023 that Goodyear reported it released over 1,200 pounds of ortho-toluidine on nearly 4,000 residents within two. The DEC’s recommended limit would be 100 pounds.

Niagara Falls resident Matteo Anello has lived two blocks from the plant for decades, even working as a chemical process supervisor at Occidental Chemical, which was famously known for its involvement in Love Canal.

He has seen firsthand the dangers of chemicals and wishes he knew about this sooner.

“I am sorry I didn’t know what it was because you just go to your car, you go to wherever and you wipe it off. You clean it down in the sewers, on the grass, where the kids are going to walk and (where) I’m going to work,” said Anello.

“The area has put up with more than its share of environmental issues. And it’s unfortunate it still keeps happening,” said Cloyd.

If anyone wants to get involved, you can reach out to the Clean Air Coalition of WYNY (716-852-3813) or the Niagara Falls branch of the NAACP (716-525-6475).

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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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