For over 15 years, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. chemical plant in Niagara Falls, NY, has been releasing a bladder carcinogen into the air at levels 1,000 percent higher than what state regulators now consider safe. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a notice of violation to Goodyear in July of 2023 for failing to control emissions of the bladder carcinogen ortho-toluidine and another pollutant, diphenylamine (DPA). However, more than a year later the DEC has yet to order the company to reduce these emissions.
Data collected by Public Health Watch
Ortho-toluidine is a known human carcinogen linked to bladder cancer while DPA is a possible carcinogen that may harm the bladder, kidneys, and liver. The DEC violation notice focuses on two pollution-control devices -- the Tri-Mer scrubber and Elimination Tank 2 -- that have both failed to adequately capture these pollutants. Despite the severity of the issue, the DEC has not taken further action to address the emissions since their violation notice over a year ago.
The Goodyear plant in Niagara Falls has a history of occupational outbreaks of bladder cancer among its workers. Federal health investigators found that the disease affected plant workers at a rate four times higher than expected in the general public with exposure to ortho-toluidine identified as the likely cause. Overall, at least 78 Goodyear workers have developed bladder cancer since the mid-1980s. This would be 4x higher than the national average (click HERE for data from National Library of Medicine).
More concerning is that people living near the Goodyear plant may also be at risk. DEC documents suggest that the community has not been adequately informed about the emissions and potential health hazards they pose.
Niagara County has one of the highest incidence rates of bladder cancer in both the state and the nation. Just in the 14304 ZIP code where the Goodyear plant is located, 15.4% of the population identifies as having some form of disability which is more than the national average of 13.6%.
A statement from the DEC stated, in part, “Protecting New York’s air quality, and the health of our communities, is a top priority for DEC and DEC will continue to take the appropriate actions involving the Goodyear Chemical facility in Niagara Falls to ensure compliance with applicable air emission standards and the protection of public health and the environment. … DEC’s investigation continues, which includes communications with the company regarding potential facility modifications."
Goodyear, in a statement, claims to be in compliance with the state's prior air permit requirements for ortho-toluidine.
"[The Niagara Falls plant] is subject to air permit requirements that are based on the state’s prior [limit] for ortho-toluidine, and Goodyear is in compliance with those permit requirements," Goodyear claimed in a statement.
The issue of air pollution and potential life-threatening health consequences from the Goodyear plant adds to Niagara Falls' troubled environmental history dating back to Love Canal. If it is indeed true that the pollution-control devices at the plant have allowed excessive emissions of ortho-toluidine and DPA for years to permeate the community, the failure of the DEC to act is alarming.
The state tightened the airborne limit for ortho-toluidine in 2021 due to its potent cancer-causing properties, but the plant's emissions remain unchecked. It is critical for the DEC to promptly address the issue and take decisive action to protect the health and well-being of residents in Niagara Falls.
Based on independent reporting and Public Health Watch, WBFO and Inside Climate News (click HERE to read in-depth article including history of Goodyear, oversight by the DEC up to 2024, relevant data and health concerns)
Goodyear Chemical Plant in Niagara Falls Violated for Cancer-causing Emissions 1,000% Above Safe Levels