Tonawanda Coke is in hot water with the Environmental Protection Agency again.

This time it’s for putting elevated amounts of cyanide into the Town of Tonawanda’s sanitary sewer system, which ultimately discharges into the Niagara River after being treated.

The EPA on Thursday ordered the coke manufacturing plant to comply with its Clean Water Act permit and to properly monitor and treat the wastewater that results from the coke-making process.

The EPA order follows several get-tough actions it has taken in the past year to force Tonawanda Coke to comply with federal regulations, especially over high levels of the carcinogen benzene.

“Cyanide is toxic and cannot be discharged in amounts that exceed the limits specified in the facility’s permit,” said Judith Enck, EPA regional administrator, in a statement.

“We will continue to work with the state to identify and get the company to rectify the many violations of various environmental laws at this facility.”

Elevated amounts of the chemical compound can adversely affect the health of people, fish and wildlife.

“When I walk my dogs down by the Niagara River, I always see community members fishing and wading in the water. I wonder what they’re being exposed to that they’re unaware of,” said Jennifer Ratajczak, a Town of Tonawanda resident.

Kenneth Maving, director of water resources for the Town of Tonawanda, cautioned against fears that people’s health has been adversely impacted.

He said the coke plant does its own sampling each month and sends the results to the wastewater plant, which does one test a year.

The cyanide violations started in November 2009.

“They were slightly over what Tonawanda Coke was permitted for,” Maving said. “Ultimately, we hit them with a $500 fine in February, at the same time the EPA came in,” he said.

The cyanide goes through a pretreatment program before it enters the town’s sewer collection system and on into the wastewater treatment plant.

The plant has a discharge permit issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, and Maving, a 32-year employee, said he was not aware of “one exceedance of our permit level for cyanide, ever.

“This is not a pass-through, this stuff is being treated,” Maving said.

Erin Heaney, executive director of the Clean Air Coalition of WNY, expressed alarm at the illegal levels of

cyanide that have been discharged, while praising the EPA for its diligence with Tonawanda Coke.

“The EPA is really following through on its notices of violation issued in January,” she said. “They didn’t just come and do a big presentation and leave; they are really making sure that Tonawanda Coke will have safer operations.”

Melissa Brinson, a Town of Tonawanda mother of four, agreed.

“They’re taking action now, and I’m really glad to see that. But the big question is, how long has this gone on, and what are the long-term health implications?”

msommer@buffnews.comnull