Tonawanda, NY (WBEN) New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law an amendment allowing Amigone Funeral Home to relocate its controversial crematorium from the Sheridan Park section of Tonawanda.
Neighbors of the Amigone facility had been complaining about air quality issues for several years.
Assemblymember Bill Conrad says the legislation allows the relocation of the facility pending the approval of local authorities, and provided they relocate within the Town of Tonawanda. It amends state law that prohibits the construction of new combination funeral home-crematories, and the relocation of those that opened prior to the establishment of that law.
"I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law, and I am hopeful the Amigone family will work with the Town of Tonawanda to find a new location for the crematory, " stated Conrad.
"Our neighbors deserve breathable air that's free of nuisance odors and emissions. Without this bill's passage, a longstanding state law - along with Amigone's grandfathered status under that law - would have kept the crematory in place, literally in the backyards of private homes. I was pleased to help facilitate a solution that promises to restore residents' quality of life while giving a longstanding business in the Town the opportunity to move to an area better suited to its operations.”
The crematory was closed from 2012 to 2018 for violating state clean air laws. It was again shut down for four months after its pollution control system failed in September 2020, releasing black smoke into their air for more than an hour.
In January, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation allowed Amigone Funeral Home to resume operations at the crematory.
In a statement Tuesday, New York Senator Sean Ryan said, “This solution will deliver clean air for the people of Tonawanda while allowing a local business to continue operating under its current business model. It is the culmination of years of activism from Tonawanda residents, and it was made possible by tireless advocacy from their local elected officials.”
In Tonawanda, Town Supervisor Joe Emminger said, “This piece of legislation is exactly the reason why the people you put in local and state government matter. For over 10 years the Town Board has fought, on behalf of the residents, to get to where we are today.”
Tonawanda Town Councilwoman Shannon Patch brought the issue to light last year with a social media photo showing a black plume of smoke rising from the Amigone facility and is celebrating the action.
“Today we are witnessing activism in action. This is what we can accomplish when a group of residents stands together and says, 'This is not OK in our community!'"