Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., a SUNY distinguished professor of chemistry at the University at Buffalo, released the results from phase one of UB’s soil study Wednesday night.

The study is to determine the pollution left behind by Tonawanda Coke.

A federal judge ordered the plant to fund the $711,000 study following its conviction of violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in 2013.

Starting in 2017, more than 180 soil samples were taken from neighborhoods in the City of Tonawanda, Town of Tonawanda and Grand Island.

Researchers identified three areas where selected pollutants were higher than others. In phase two, they will focus more on those areas.

"The PAHs, the cyanide, the arsenic, the other chemicals that we've identified and decide whether they came from Tonawanda Coke or not and how much," Gardella said.

UB's report notes the discovery of contaminants does not necessarily mean they pose an immediate danger to the public, adding that concentrations of contaminants were generally below levels allowed by NYSDEC.

Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joe Emminger says he had concerns about the methodology used, and had an environmental firm do a review of the data provided to them.

"If they would have followed DEC guidelines, the findings would have been a lot less concerning than what is being presented, that's at least what we feel,” he said.

Gardella says he used more conservative methodology to make sure there is no chance they missed any contamination.

Emminger and other residents in attendance also called for the raw data to be released.

Gardella says that cannot happen because it would give information on residents' properties.

"We're not going to violate the confidentiality agreement we made with residents," Gardella said.

Gardella says he hopes to be done by the second and final phase of the study by the end of August.