Crackdown on illegal dumping included dozens of citations in Orange and Sullivan

ALBANY, N.Y. >> A two-day crackdown on illegal dumping of solid waste in the Mid-Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City resulted in nearly 200 tickets being issued, including 28 in Sullivan and Orange counties, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said Friday.

All of the arrests in Sullivan and Orange were for unlawful disposal of solid waste in excess of 10 cubic yards.

On Tuesday, Cuomo’s office said more than 100 members of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, state police, state Department of Transportation and Suffolk County police participated in a Feb. 15-16 effort to enforce the state’s Environmental Conservation Law regarding illegal dumping of contaminated construction and demolition debris and “other serious safety violations.”

The governor’s office did not initially provide information about the specific charges or where the arrests were made.

The crackdown led to 28 truck drivers being ticketed and 167 additional tickets being issued, Cuomo’s office said on Tuesday. It also said additional crackdowns are expected in the coming months.

The governor’s office said authorities identified nine illegal dumping sites during the detail and issued tickets for such offenses as unlawful disposal of solid waste, operating a solid waste management facility without a permit, allowing illegal emissions, having uncovered debris and driving with overweight loads.

Ten vehicles were taken out of service due to serious safety issues, according to the Cuomo’s office.

People who witness an environmental crime in New York state are asked to call the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Poacher and Polluter Hotline at (844) 332-3267.