Sean Ryan, Bill Conrad pass legislation allowing Amigone to relocate Tonawanda crematory

Legislation allows crematory to move away from residential neighborhood

On Tuesday, New York State Sen. Sean Ryan and Assemblyman Bill Conrad announced their legislation (S.6171B/A.6740), which will allow Amigone Funeral to relocate its Sheridan Park Crematory to a nonresidential area approved by the Town of Tonawanda, has passed both the Senate and Assembly. The legislation now heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk for his signature.

The move allows the relocation of this facility pending the approval of local authorities, and provided Amigone relocates within the Town of Tonawanda. The legislation 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 this law.

Ryan’s press release stated, “The controversial crematory, which was closed from 2012 to 2018 for violating state clean air laws, 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.”

He said, “With the passage of this bill in both houses, we’re close to providing a solution for Tonawanda residents, whose years of activism have led us to this moment. Allowing Amigone to relocate their crematory to a nonresidential neighborhood creates a rare win-win situation. The residents of the Town of Tonawanda get their neighborhood cleaned up and a local business gets to continue operating under its current business model.”

Conrad said, “The passage of this bill in both houses marks an important step for the homeowners who live near Amigone Funeral Home's Sheridan Park crematory. I now urge the governor to sign it into law, so the crematory can begin working with Town of Tonawanda officials on its relocation to a nonresidential area in the town. Amigone's neighbors have endured the crematory's emissions for too long, and they deserve relief from the ash and odors. An ideal solution is within sight, and my hope is that Amigone will initiate the moving process as soon as possible.”

Tonawanda Town Supervisor Joe Emminger said, “The news today coming out of Albany is certainly very welcome. Moving the crematory out of that location is something that the Town Board has been working on with our state officials for over a decade, and while not the final chapter of the story, we are certainly encouraged. We want to thank Sen. Ryan and Assemblyman Conrad for all their efforts on this very important piece of legislation for our community.”

Tonawanda Town Councilwoman Shannon Patch said, “Our state delegation truly delivered for Tonawanda today! This legislation represents a win-win solution, allowing a small business to continue operations, but in a more appropriate location. I am grateful to Sen. Ryan and Assemblyman Conrad for going to bat for our community on this important issue.”