History

From 1917 to 1977, predecessor companies of Honeywell owned and operated the former Tonawanda Coke business. In 1978, after a fire damaged much of the facility, Honeywell’s predecessor sold the site and the business, as is, where is, to the Tonawanda Coke Corporation.

In 2018, Tonawanda Coke Corporation filed for bankruptcy, citing more than $2 million in debts. On or about October 14, 2018, Tonawanda Coke Corporation initiated the shutdown of its coke plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) mobilized to the site on October 17, 2018 to perform emergency response activities, including air monitoring during the shutdown, and to address potential threats to public health and the environment.

As part of the bankruptcy process, the property was put up for sale in a process overseen by a federal judge. Riverview Innovation & Technology Campus (RITC) submitted the only bid and is now the property’s owner. RITC agreed to and paid over $190,000 in back taxes owed by Tonawanda Coke.

On December 3, 2019, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) informed RITC that its application for participation in the New York State Brownfields Cleanup Program was “determined to be complete based upon NYSDEC's initial non-substantive review.”

On December 4, 2019, NYSDEC invited public comment on the application, site ID #C915353. The comment period was open for 45 days, until January 18, 2020.

On February 14, 2020, RITC’s application to conduct the site remediation and restoration under the Brownfield Cleanup Program was accepted by the agency. NYSDEC also announced a new Consent Order under the State Superfund program with Honeywell for three separate sections of the property.

Site Ownership

Riverview Innovation & Technology Campus, Inc. owns the former Tonawanda Coke property. RITC’s approach to managing, remediating, and redeveloping the former Tonawanda Coke property into a new data and technology campus is to address the property in carefully planned stages that are consistent with the goal and objectives established by RITC and NYSDEC. On a parallel timeline, three portions of the properties owned by RITC are being addressed by Honeywell in cooperation with RITC and NYSDEC.