Former New York environmental engineer Dylan Keenan says he lost his job after trying to sound the alarm about possible toxic air pollution from Goodyear's Niagara Falls plant. He has framed the episode as a public-health fight rather than a clash over workplace rules.
A labor arbitrator sustained four misconduct allegations tied to Keenan's unauthorized outreach to federal officials. Even so, he has continued to describe his actions as whistleblowing aimed at pushing tougher scrutiny of the facility.
Here's what to know
According to The Buffalo News, state officials said Keenan repeatedly contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about Goodyear without going through DEC leadership, and that he kept doing so after being told future communication required approval.
While working on the renewal of Goodyear's air permit, Keenan said a November 2022 emissions test immediately raised red flags for him. He said filters pulled from the smokestacks looked blackened, but the company's later report described them as clean.
"The data made no physical sense," he said, per The Buffalo News.
One chemical at issue is ortho-toluidine, which is known to cause bladder cancer. The plant was measured at seven times New York's health-based benchmark for that substance even under the disputed test results.
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The Buffalo News reported that at least 78 Goodyear employees have been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The paper also found higher-than-expected rates nearby, though no link has been proven for residents.
More background
The State and Keenan were not fighting over whether the November 2022 emissions test could stand. In a September 2023 message, DEC facilities director Michael Cronin wrote: "We have stated many times that we agree that the November 2022 testing as a whole cannot be approved and re-testing is necessary."
The breakdown came after Keenan took his concerns to an August 2023 monthly EPA call. When an EPA employee asked for follow-up material, he sent documents and continued the exchange with federal staff.
In an August 2023 email, The Buffalo News reported that Mark Lanzafame — who leads the DEC's Bureau of Stationary Sources — instructed Keenan not to discuss Goodyear further with the EPA unless management cleared it first. The arbitration ruling says Keenan nonetheless sent 26 unauthorized emails about the plant.
Keenan says he did not view that limit as a routine supervisory directive. In his view, he was trying to warn about a serious threat to workers and neighbors, not picking a fight over chain of command.
What's being done?
State regulators rejected the disputed test in September 2023, telling Goodyear there were "several inconsistencies in the data," according to The Buffalo News. The company then said in October 2023 that the submission included "document errors in data" that required correction.
The DEC turned to the EPA in May 2024, The Buffalo News reported, asking the federal agency to spearhead efforts to secure another emissions test. That follow-up testing was put off while Goodyear installed new pollution controls.
Goodyear was bound by a consent order signed in January 2025 that, according to The Buffalo News, levied a $15,000 penalty and required permanent pollution-control equipment to be installed and operating by Oct. 31, 2026. The company then has 180 days to complete emissions testing, and interim controls have been running since April 2025.
Keenan says the biggest issue, for him, is still the well-being of people who work at the plant and live nearby.
"My goal was to protect public health and welfare," he told The Buffalo News. "The directive was basically telling me that I had to do what I was told, even if someone's going to die."
Where can I learn more?
These articles look at residents, advocates, and public agencies dealing with toxic releases, pushing for stronger protections, and working on longer-term environmental fixes.
• A mother near a Freepoint Eco-Systems facility said she caught toxic pollution releases, forcing scrutiny of immediate health risks.
• In Duluth, Minnesota, Judy Gibbs' local environmental stewardship earned recognition for sustained community advocacy.
• The EPA allocated funding for critical initiatives to equip young people for environmental problem-solving.
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