Brookhaven Town seeks to increase fines for illegal dumping after demolition materials left in Mastic Beach wetlands area
Construction debris was illegally dumped in a Mastic Beach wetlands, Brookhaven Town officials said Thursday in announcing a crackdown on the practice. Credit: John Roca
Brookhaven Town officials are cracking down on illegal dumping after a contractor allegedly dumped demolition materials in a wetlands area of Mastic Beach.
Officials on Thursday voted to set a public hearing for the legislation that, if enacted, would hike minimum fines for illegal dumping from $500 to $5,000, with a maximum of $10,000 per occurrence and a prison sentence of 15 days.
Secondary offenses will rise to a $10,000 minimum fine, with a maximum fine of $20,000 and 15 days in jail, said Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico, who is sponsoring the resolution.
Panico, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, and County Legis. Jim Mazzarella held a news conference at the site of the dumping on Thursday morning to announce the crackdown.
“This is a crime against everyone here in the Town of Brookhaven,” Panico said. “And it’s borne by selfishness, greed and wanton disregard for the environment and for the people here in Brookhaven.”
He added: “Brookhaven is not going to stand for it.”
The Brookhaven Town Board passed a resolution to set the public hearing 6-0 on Thursday afternoon. The public hearing is scheduled for March 30 and the board can vote immediately afterward.
Romaine said the dumping problem had become widespread, and would likely worsen as the town dump shuts down in late 2024.
Some contractors are opting to dump demolition materials in wetlands, in the Pine Barrens, or other locations rather than pay a modest fee to place it at the government-run landfill, Romaine said.
Officials received a video from a “good citizen” on Wednesday of the illegal, late-night dumping in Mastic Beach, and authorities immediately launched an investigation, he said.
The perpetrator is “going to get caught and we are going to make him pay,” Romaine said.
A clean up took place after the news conference, as a bulldozer moved the material out of the wetland and onto the street, where it was carted away by town workers.
Romaine said people who want to dump illegally should remember that many residents have cameras at their houses, while authorities are installing other ones on utility poles and other locations.
“There are cameras all over, so when you drive a dump truck down in to the wetlands, it gets noticed,” he said.
He added: “We are not going to put up with this. We are going to vigorously pursue this and we are going to make sure we send a very clear message: Dumping is not permitted in the Town of Brookhaven. Dispose of it legally.”
Mazzarella said Suffolk County, including its police department, will assist in the crackdown.
Romaine said he expects the problem to get worse with the Brookhaven Landfill slated to close by the end of 2024. He said it is one of only two landfills on Long Island where contractors can dump demolition material.
The supervisor said he hopes the state Department of Environmental Conservation can come up with a plan for when the landfill closes. He said some options include trucking the material off Long Island to have it deposited elsewhere, or taking it by boat.
Brookhaven Town officials are cracking down on illegal dumping after a contractor allegedly dumped demolition materials in a wetlands area of Mastic Beach.
Officials on Thursday voted to set a public hearing for the legislation that, if enacted, would hike minimum fines for illegal dumping from $500 to $5,000, with a maximum of $10,000 per occurrence and a prison sentence of 15 days.
Secondary offenses will rise to a $10,000 minimum fine, with a maximum fine of $20,000 and 15 days in jail, said Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico, who is sponsoring the resolution.
Panico, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, and County Legis. Jim Mazzarella held a news conference at the site of the dumping on Thursday morning to announce the crackdown.
“This is a crime against everyone here in the Town of Brookhaven,” Panico said. “And it’s borne by selfishness, greed and wanton disregard for the environment and for the people here in Brookhaven.”
He added: “Brookhaven is not going to stand for it.”
The Brookhaven Town Board passed a resolution to set the public hearing 6-0 on Thursday afternoon. The public hearing is scheduled for March 30 and the board can vote immediately afterward.
Romaine said the dumping problem had become widespread, and would likely worsen as the town dump shuts down in late 2024.
Some contractors are opting to dump demolition materials in wetlands, in the Pine Barrens, or other locations rather than pay a modest fee to place it at the government-run landfill, Romaine said.
Officials received a video from a “good citizen” on Wednesday of the illegal, late-night dumping in Mastic Beach, and authorities immediately launched an investigation, he said.
The perpetrator is “going to get caught and we are going to make him pay,” Romaine said.
A clean up took place after the news conference, as a bulldozer moved the material out of the wetland and onto the street, where it was carted away by town workers.
Romaine said people who want to dump illegally should remember that many residents have cameras at their houses, while authorities are installing other ones on utility poles and other locations.
“There are cameras all over, so when you drive a dump truck down in to the wetlands, it gets noticed,” he said.
He added: “We are not going to put up with this. We are going to vigorously pursue this and we are going to make sure we send a very clear message: Dumping is not permitted in the Town of Brookhaven. Dispose of it legally.”
Mazzarella said Suffolk County, including its police department, will assist in the crackdown.
Romaine said he expects the problem to get worse with the Brookhaven Landfill slated to close by the end of 2024. He said it is one of only two landfills on Long Island where contractors can dump demolition material.
The supervisor said he hopes the state Department of Environmental Conservation can come up with a plan for when the landfill closes. He said some options include trucking the material off Long Island to have it deposited elsewhere, or taking it by boat.
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