Erie Coke Corporation

DEP has expended approximately $2,000,000 for the investigation activities conducted thus far. The Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA), 35 P.S. § 6020.101, et seq., gives the DEP the authority to seek reimbursement for public funds spent on DEP-funded cleanup actions from persons responsible for releases of hazardous substances. As part of the HSCA process, the DEP will be pursuing cost recovery from all known responsible persons.​

On March 15, 2024, the Erie-Western PA Port Authority (Port Authority) filed their Declaration of Taking in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas as part of their condemnation and acquisition of the Erie Coke Corporation’s property. The Port Authority and the Erie County Redevelopment Authority (ECRDA) have an agreement to work together to assess and remediate the Erie Coke Corporation property. As the property owner, the Port Authority determines the end use of the property.​

Field investigation activities include the installation of monitoring wells and collection of soil, sediment, and surface and groundwater samples. The investigation progresses in phases, which is typical of environmental investigations of large and complex sites. Phase I (July 2023 Report) included the collection of hundreds of samples of soil, sediment, waste material, surface and ground water, and the installation of 15 permanent monitoring wells. Phase II (October 2024 Report) included the collection of additional soil and groundwater samples and installation of 36 new monitoring wells. The Supplemental Work Plan includes approximately 30 soil boring locations and 7 new monitoring wells.​

Lake Erie is an important and complex urban watershed. DEP will continue to monitor groundwater and determine the best approach to evaluate the impacts of hazardous substances from the Site into the Lake. Some sediment samples were collected during the Phase I Investigation (July 2023 Report). Additional samples may be collected/analyzed in the future. In 2019, the DEP’s Waterways and Wetlands Program/Office of the Great Lakes evaluated Lake Erie’s surface water and sediments in the vicinity of the Site. That information is available for review at the DEP Northwest Regional Office.​

While the DEP has not completed a human health and ecological risk assessment, the following work has been completed to reduce and/or eliminate potential risk:

• With the shutdown of the Coke Plant in December 2019, direct discharge of contaminated liquids and air emissions has been eliminated.
• EPA’s Removal Action removed hazardous substances remaining in tanks, containers, and piping posing the most immediate threat to public health, welfare, and the environment.
• The Site is secured with a fence and gate reducing the risk of direct contact with contaminated Site soils.
• Everyone in the area is connected to a public water supply which eliminates drinking of contaminated Site groundwater.
• Anyone with concerns about fish consumption from fishing activities in the area of the Site should refer to PADEP’s Fish Consumption Advisory Page at the following link Fish Consumption Advisories (https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/Clean Water/WaterQuality/FishConsumptionAdvisory/Pages/default.aspx).
• There are “No Swimming” signs in the area of the Site.

The DEP’s environmental investigations identified extensive contamination across the Site. The soil and groundwater are contaminated by metals, semi-volatile organic compounds, and volatile organic compounds. Analytical results show exceedances of the Land Recycling Statewide Health Standards Medium Specific Concentrations. The results of DEP’s investigation are contained in the r​eports below.