TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — NRG is selling 208 acres of land in the town of Tonawanda, including the 84-acre parcel that's home to the former Huntley Generating Station.

It's exciting news for a group of Tonawanda residents and activists.

"Ideally, what we're looking for is the opportunity to partner with a community-friendly buyer who values community input and looks for opportunities to transform this 100-acre site into an economically viable contributor to the community,” said Peter Stuhlmiller, Kenmore Teachers Association president.

The group is requesting a meeting with NRG leadership about the future of the property.

Before it's sold, Clean Air Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Newberry wants the site to be examined, and if necessary, cleaned up.

"We know that coal sites across this country tend to contain hazardous waste like mercury, heavy metals. There is no way of knowing what's on the site until we test it, and so that's why assessing the level of toxicity is important before any other development takes place," Newberry said.

Newberry points to the property directly south of Huntley as another reason to do an inspection.

That parcel is part of a Class 2 Superfund Site owned by Tonawanda Coke.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is currently doing remediation work there, and Newberry hopes they take a close look at Huntley as well.

"The first step is to ensure a site characterization, where DEC would work with the company to come on and test the level of contamination and moving forward, they figure out the appropriate mechanisms for cleanup from there,” said Newberry.

NRG spokesman David Gaier released the following statement after Tuesday’s rally:

“We appreciate the interest of the Tonawanda community regarding the future of the Huntley site. NRG has been working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for some time on formal plans for the decommissioning and closure of the Huntley site, consistent with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. 

We’ll continue working with DEC, the responsible regulatory agency, in parallel with CBRE’s efforts to market the site to qualified potential buyers and developers. We will also continue to keep community leaders informed as we make progress on both fronts.”

Spectrum News reached to the DEC to learn more about its discussions with NRG.

We were provided the following statement:

“After a comprehensive review of Huntley Power’s Decommissioning and Closure Plan for stormwater discharges at  this facility, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) requested revisions to include an investigation and remediation proposal to investigate, and clean up if necessary, potential petroleum contamination in the coal yard. In addition, DEC encouraged Huntley to consider applying to enter the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program to facilitate the productive reuse of this property. DEC met with representatives of Huntley in February 2018 to discuss the Brownfield Cleanup Program’s eligibility requirements.”