Tonawanda Coke: A timeline of environmental crime

Sept. 21 — U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny allows Tonawanda Coke to stay open, with conditions.

Sept. 17 — Tonawanda Coke found guilty of violating its probation for federal Clean Air Act violations.  

Aug. 24 — Federal probation officials report Tonawanda Coke is violating its probation from its 2013 conviction. 

July 20 — State says it intends to revoke Tonawanda Coke's permit to operate, cites 176 violations. 

June 19 — Federal and state inspectors conduct an on-site inspection. 

May 11 — Tonawanda Coke tells state a section of the roof of its coke oven battery waste heat stack tunnel collapsed. 

Spring — Neighborhood residents notice unusually thick and discolored emissions from smokestack. 

Early 2018 — Tonawanda Coke officials find a partial collapse of the waste heat air tunnel connecting its battery to its battery stack. 

April 29-30, 2017 — First samples for Tonawanda Health Study collected taken from 30 backyards in Tonawanda, Kenmore and Buffalo. 

April 2017 — DEC proposes expedited cleanup of coal tar deposits. 

Dec. 6, 2016 — DEC reports 92 percent reduction in benzene from 2008 levels at a monitor on Grand Island Boulevard and a 74 percent reduction in benzene at Brookside Terrace. 

March 19, 2014 — Judge orders Tonawanda Coke to pay $24 million for its conduct and sentences environmental controls manager to a year in federal prison.

Jan. 31, 2014 — Improper maintenance and operations leads to explosion, injuring three workers. 

March 28, 2013 — Tonawanda Coke and executive found guilty of polluting the air and ground. 

July 30, 2010 — Federal grand jury returns a 20-count criminal indictment charging Tonawanda Coke and executive with federal environmental crimes between 2005 and 2009.