Residents unhappy with amount of notice for Shenango Coke Works smokestack implosion

Residents told Allegheny County Health Department officials Thursday night they aren't happy the department didn't give more notice than the law requires about plans to demolish the Shenango Coke Works smokestacks.

DTE Energy, which owns the site on Neville Island, was required by federal law to notify residents 72 hours in advance that the implosion was set to occur at noon Tuesday, which the company did, said Jim Kelly, deputy director of environmental health for the health department.

But some said they were upset they were not given more notice, and that the notice did not come from the health department.

“Can someone from the health department please address to me why we weren't told and given more than sufficient notice to make our own choices to leave town, to take precautions, to do whatever,” said Marty Hobbs during an Allegheny County Clean Air Now meeting Thursday evening.

Hobbs, who has lived in Ben Avon for 15 years, said she found out about the demolition at 10 p.m. Sunday from a post on the borough's Facebook page, which sent her into a panic. She drove to Erie to avoid the demolition.

The health department sent a news release at 5:45 p.m. Monday about the implosion, which was planned for noon the next day.

During the meeting, Kelly assured residents the cloud of dust from the implosion carried no asbestos or other harmful substances, which the department tested for ahead of time.

“This is not an imminent health threat unless you're within that area of blast,” Kelly said.

For that reason, the other plants on Neville Island were shut down that day, Kelly said.

Kathleen Krebs, a member of Allegheny County Clean Air Now, told Kelly that a health department asbestos specialist told her six months ago there was asbestos throughout the facility, including in the smoke stacks.

“There was never asbestos in the stacks. Asbestos never touched the stack,” Kelly said.

Kelly urged residents to check with the proper health department officials before jumping to conclusions or believing rumors.

“But that's the problem we didn't hear it from (the department),” Ben Avon Mayor Melanie Holcomb said. “After having to hear it from multiple sources because we weren't getting it from the horse's mouth, that's what makes us doubt.”

Another resident urged the department to share with residents weeks in advance what substances will be released in the air when these kinds of demolitions happen, even if those substances will not be harmful.

“Point taken,” Kelly said.

Theresa Clift is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-5669, tclift@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tclift.