Illegal Dumping Brings Pricey Penalty – Suffolk County

11/10/2022 – DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) recently issued an enforcement decision that included a $300,000 penalty against a Long Island company for operating an illegal solid waste facility in Wyandanch, Suffolk County. This enforcement action is the result of an investigation by DLE, in coordination with DEC experts from the Division of Materials Management. DEC first responded to a complaint about Stasi Industries in 2019, and determined the company demolished two buildings at 271 Merritt Avenue and then illegally dumped and buried thousands of cubic yards of construction and demolition (C&D) debris at the site without the required DEC permits. The investigation showed the dumping likely commenced in or around March 2017.

Textbook Dumpster Fire – Schenectady County

11/10/2022 – A Schenectady County man recently paid a penalty for illegally dumping and burning solid waste. While on patrol in the town of Duanesburg, ECO Willson spotted smoke in the distance and called Lieutenant DeAngelis for assistance. The Officers identified the smoke as coming from a local business off Western Turnpike and responded to the site. At the scene, they found two on-site dumpsters, one of them on fire with solid waste inside. When ECO Willson advised the property owner of the laws preventing the burning of solid waste, the man questioned the definition of “solid waste.” The subject also objected to the Officer being on his property without a warrant. Officer Willson explained that no warrant is required for the enforcement of a violation committed in plain view and issued two tickets to the man for open burning and illegal disposal of solid waste. In court, the defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of illegal disposal of solid waste with a fine of $3,710.