Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda residents have long suspected that cancer-causing benzene emitted from the Tonawanda Coke plant was behind the bad smells and illnesses they have been experiencing, and the conclusions of an air quality study would seem to support their contention.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation held an informational meeting Friday to share the analysis of the Tonawanda Community Air Quality Study with about 200 residents in the Sheridan Parkside Community Center auditorium.

Among the conclusions shared by Thomas Gentile, head of the DEC’s Air Toxics Section, was that the Tonawanda Coke plant on River Road has been the likely source of the irritations to the eyes, ears, noses and throats of nearby residents.

For Jackie James-Creedon, director of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, it was a long-awaited vindication.

“For a government agency to actually say the culprit is one specific company, that was like, finally, because we knew that,” said James-Creedon.

“We suspected that all along because of benzene emissions and just by our residents seeing all of the smoke and getting sick because of all of that smoke coming from Tonawanda Coke,” she added.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term exposure to benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.

The study, funded through a $300,000 grant from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, involved the collection of wind and meteorological data, as well as the monitoring of pollution concentrations at four monitoring stations: Beaver Island State Park, the Brookside Terrace neighborhood in the town, Grand Island Boulevard off of the Niagara Thruway, and the Sheridan Drive Water Tower.

The monitoring took place between July 2007 and July 2008. Five hazardous chemical compounds were measured, with the most volatile being benzene, which the study found in concentrations that greatly exceed the state average, particularly at the Grand Island monitoring station.

“We knew that our air stunk. We know the people are getting sick. However, we have so many industries here. Let’s face it, it’s the combination of all of them, but we have to draw the line somewhere. And we had to draw the line at the worst culprit,” said James-Creedon.

Friday’s meeting was the third in a series of meetings that the DEC has held with residents. Representatives from the EPA also attended the meeting.

Larry Sitzman, the DEC’s regional pollution control engineer, said the goal, after all the data from the study is analyzed, is to reduce odor complaints and the emission of chemicals that are associated with the illnesses and irritations that residents in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda area have been complaining about.

“The job is a long way from being done,” said Sitzman.

He added that air sampling will continue at both the Grand Island Boulevard and Brookside Terrace sites, and he promised continuous inspections at the larger plants in the area, such as the Huntley Power Station and NOCO.

Meanwhile, James-Creedon and members of the Clean Air Coalition sought a commitment from the DEC that there will be more resident involvement in any remediation.

“We want to have a say in how our air pollution is reduced and by what limit it should be reduced to, by what concentration,” said James- Creedon.

The group also wants the DEC to enforce tighter controls on the permits of polluters.