TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Community members gathered Friday, five years after the Tonawanda Coke smokestacks came down, to reflect on what many call a hard-fought environmental victory — while looking ahead to what could come next for the former industrial property.
June 5 marks five years since smokestacks at the Tonawanda Coke plant were imploded, ending a decades-long chapter that some residents associated with pollution and health concerns.
For community advocates like Jackie James, director of Citizen Science Community Resources, the anniversary represents years of persistence paying off.
“We watched those stacks, watched that billowing black smoke coming out of there so many times, and it was going to be over with,” James said.
James and advocates spent two decades pushing for environmental accountability at the site.
WATCH: Community reflects on environmental victory after five years since Tonawanda Coke smokestacks came down
Board member Jean Harmon said the milestone is a reminder of what residents can accomplish.
“It's a wonderful day to celebrate five years, because what Jackie proved is that a small group of people, if they're determined enough and they believe in their cause, they can make things happen,” Harmon said.
Harmon added that some residents may not realize how conditions have changed since the plant closed.
“People in the Town of Tonawanda don't realize that the air they breathe is cleaner because of Jackie James,” she said.
For Anne Adams, another board member, the fight became personal after a chemical leak near the facility impacted her health.
“I actually ended up very sick, which is how I joined Jackie's group in 2010,” Adams said. “They had a huge leak here, and I was living in Kenmore at the time, and I ended up having a horrible burn in my lung and esophagus that I'm still dealing with today.”
Now, as the community reflects, some advocates are focused on the future of the site.
Citizen Science Community Resources supports a proposed statewide moratorium on new large-scale data center permits while environmental reviews continue. The conversation comes as developers have proposed an AI data center at the former Tonawanda Coke property.
James said the group wants to ensure any future development is environmentally responsible.
“We worked so hard for 20 years to remove an environmental disaster, and to replace it with something that could be maybe just as bad. It just that doesn't personally sit right with me,” James said.
Community members said they hope whatever comes next for the property creates jobs while also protecting the environment for future generations.
