Roberto Clemente Jr. disappointed with the illegal dumping at park named for his father

Roberto Clemente Jr. -- the son of the baseball legend and humanitarian Roberto Clemente -- said Wednesday he felt "disappointment" when he learned tainted debris had been dumped in the Brentwood park named for his father, and he vowed to be part of its rehabilitation.

Clemente said he remembered the "excitement of the town" during the renaming of the park in 2011, when it was changed from Timberline Park to Roberto Clemente Park after a spate of violence left the 27.9-acre green space with a stigma.

Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash in December 1972 while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. His son made his comments at a press event at Islip Town Hall.

"Carrying the name Roberto Clemente is a great honor," he said. "I, myself, and my family am very, very happy that the town has committed to fixing the problem that has occurred."

Clemente, 49, of Houston, said he learned of the illegal dumping scandal via a Google alert he has set up for his family's last name.

"I empathize with Roberto Clemente Jr., because my family's name is on that park sign too -- something that I do not take lightly," Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota has launched a criminal probe into illegal dumping on Long Island, including Clemente park and three other sites within the Town of Islip. A recently convened special grand jury is underway.

Town officials said they are awaiting approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation on a remediation plan to begin the cleanup of an estimated 50,000 tons of debris tainted with contaminants in the park. The town said it will host a series of public forums to gather input from community members on how the park will be rebuilt.

"The concepts for this park will probably lead to the nicest park in our town," Croci said.