Erie Coke Corporation
Background and History
The Erie Coke Corporation Property ("Site") is located at the foot of East Avenue in the City of Erie. The current owner of the Site is Erie Coke Corporation ("Erie Coke"). The Site consists of approximately 194 acres in total, of which approximately half of which are land and approximately half of which are submerged under water. The Site has been used for industrial purposes since approximately 1833. It was operated as an industrial coke production facility from approximately 1925 to 2019. Coke is produced by baking coal at extremely high heat. The resulting product, coke, is then used as fuel in blast furnaces to smelt iron ore at steel mills. Erie Coke has a long history of environmental law violations at the Site. Erie Coke ceased operations at the Site in December 2019. No business activities have occurred at the Site since December 2019. The environmental agencies (PADEP and USEPA) have taken a number of enforcement actions against Erie Coke. Most recently, in November of 2022, Erie Coke was indicted by the federal government for criminal violations of federal environmental laws. Erie Coke has pleaded not guilty to these charges and currently awaits trial. Erie Coke has essentially abandoned the Site and is believed to be completely insolvent. Erie Coke has not filed for bankruptcy to date.
Initial investigative reports from the environmental agencies confirm what is already well-known in the Erie community -- the Site is heavily contaminated by a wide variety of hazardous materials. A preliminary Site Investigation Report dated July 2023 ("Site Investigation Report"), which was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ("PADEP"), outlines what is presently known regarding the current environmental conditions at the Site. That Report recommended and concluded that additional environmental assessment work needs to be conducted to more fully characterize the extent of the contamination at the Site.
Complete PADEP Site Investigation Report
The complete PADEP Site Investigation Report dated July 2023 can be found at the following link:
Property Photos
Timeline
- 10.6.23 — A partnership between The Erie Western PA Port Authority & The Erie County Redevelopment Authority was formed at a joint meeting of the Board of Directors to investigate the potential acquisition and environmental clean-up of the Erie Coke Corporation property.
- 10.6.23 — Public Comment Period Begins
- 10.23.23 — Public hearing held at East Middle School, 1001 Atkins St., Erie, PA
- 11.10.23 — Public Comment Period Ends
- 3.13.24 — Port Authority votes to condemn property
Q&As
Why is the Port Authority involved in this process?
The Port Authority is the adjoining landowner to the Site, on the north and east with Lampe Marina and the port facilities, and on the south/southeast with the East Avenue boat ramp. As such, the Port Authority has a direct interest in addressing the environmental hazards at the Site. Also, the Port Authority's already-existing long-term plans (such as its 2018 Master Development and Facilities Plan) call for the expansion of the existing port facilities to provide additional space for future port activities. Such expansion could be accommodated by a portion of the Site.
Why is the Redevelopment Authority involved in this process?
Remediation of blighted properties is part of the Redevelopment Authority's mission, and its staff has extensive experience in this area. The Redevelopment authority and its affiliated entities have a proven track record of acquiring contaminated industrial properties, attracting a variety of financial resources (primarily state and federal grants) to clean up such properties, and repurposing those properties for uses which are consistent with their environmental condition and community objectives. A good example of such activity is the Redevelopment Authority's recent clean-up of, and development plans for, the former EMI facility at 12th and Cherry Streets.
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Important Links
- PA Department of Environmental Protection: Erie Coke Corporation (pa.gov)
- United States Environmental Protection Agency: Site Profile - Erie Coke Site - EPA OSC Response
Comments
If you have any comments you would like to share please email tmengine@ecrda.net and jslomski@porterie.org.