Nearly six years after the Erie Coke Plant closed, the corporation has pleaded guilty for polluting the air.


For years, Erie Coke Corporation officials maintained their innocence, but on Tuesday, they admitted to polluting the environment.


The proceeding took just over a half hour at the federal courthouse.

The Erie Coke Corporation pleaded guilty to conspiring to pollute and polluting the air in violation of the Clean Air Act.


Prosecutors alleged, and the company acknowledged, that workers would remove caps on the coke ovens, venting the gas from the burning coal directly into the environment, bypassing the monitoring device in the company's smokestack.


Testing on the Erie Coke Plant has been going on by the DEP and EPA for years.

The DEP has been testing soil, ground water, and air quality. Meantime, the EPA has been testing the air quality in neighborhoods. Results from the testing are expected by the end of July or early August.


Representatives from Hold Erie Coke Accountable, or HECA said this is a major step in the right direction for the neighborhood and community. Sister Pat Lupo, the chairperson of HECA said, "They need to acknowledge that they were in the wrong. They have been denying everything up until this point, but they lost out in the pre-trial, all the indictments stood, so there are eight felony counts that need to be considered."


Sister Lupo said more people need to be held accountable for their actions. "I would like to see more emphasis placed on Paul Saffrin. As the owner, he's walking it seems completely free and away from this. There's a supervisor involved in the hearing and all the tax payers money at this point is being used for clean up. At this point, we would like to see Paul Saffrin held more accountable."


Sentencing is set for October.


As part of the plea agreement, Erie Coke agreed to pay a 700 thousand dollar fine, but Judge Susan Paradise Baxter does not have to accept the plea bargain. Victim impact statements are expected to be read, and people can still send them in or make a video if they feel like their health or property was damaged.